A sensorimotor perspective on numerical cognition

• Published in: Trends in cognitive sciences Vol. 27; no. 4; pp. 367 - 378
• Main Authors: Sixtus, Elena, Krause, Florian, Lindemann, Oliver, Fischer, Martin H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2023
• Subjects: cardinality; Cognition; embodied cognition; finger representations; Fingers; generalized magnitude system; Humans; ordinality; triple code model; generalized magnitude system; finger representations; triple code model; ordinality; cardinality; embodied cognition
• ISSN: 1364-6613; 1879-307X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.01.002

Recent studies point to an embodied representation of numbers.We reconcile these ideas with traditional influential accounts of numerical cognition.We identify symbolic number representations of visual, verbal, and sensorimotor form.Number symbols evoke three distinct semantic concepts: magnitude, ordinality, and cardinality.We propose a sensorimotor perspective of numerical cognition in which number meaning emerges from differently grounding these concepts in sensorimotor experiences. Numbers are present in every part of modern society and the human capacity to use numbers is unparalleled in other species. Understanding the mental and neural representations supporting this capacity is of central interest to cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and education. Embodied numerical cognition theory suggests that beyond the seemingly abstract symbols used to refer to numbers, their underlying meaning is deeply grounded in sensorimotor experiences, and that our specific understanding of numerical information is shaped by actions related to our fingers, egocentric space, and experiences with magnitudes in everyday life. We propose a sensorimotor perspective on numerical cognition in which number comprehension and numerical proficiency emerge from grounding three distinct numerical core concepts: magnitude, ordinality, and cardinality.