Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
918563 Journal of Experimental Child Psychology 2011 12 Pages PDF
Abstract

Even when two-digit numbers are irrelevant to the task at hand, adults process them. Do children process numbers automatically, and if so, what kind of information is activated? In a novel dot–number Stroop task, children (Grades 1–5) and adults were shown two different two-digit numbers made up of dots. Participants were asked to select the number that contained the larger dots. If numbers are processed automatically, reaction time for dot size judgment should be affected by numerical characteristics. The results suggest that, like adults, children process two-digit numbers automatically. Based on the current findings, we propose a developmental trend for automatic two-digit number processing that goes from decomposed sequential (activation of decade digit followed by that of unit digit) to decomposed parallel processing (simultaneous activation of decade and unit digits).

Related Topics
Social Sciences and Humanities Psychology Developmental and Educational Psychology
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