| Since the SNARC effect was found in1993, a large number of studies have demonstrated an association between numeral and space, however, some key issues remain controversial:why this association exists, what is the nature of association, and how and when the association can be activated. One view suggests that to activate the spatial representation of numerals is merely an instance of strategic problem solving, space plays only as an intermediator in the numeral processing, the interactions between numeral and space is mainly modified by culture and education, another view suggests that numeral and space correlation is biological, the processing of numerals and processing of spatial information share a neurological level overlap in brain mechanisms, therefore, the association is inherent and intimate.From a cross-notation perspective, the present study adopted the Attentional SNARC paradigm, through four groups of14experiments in all, we investigated the activation of the numeral space association of numerals in cross-notation formats, including symbolic numerals and non-symbolic numerals, by comparing the processing and spatial representation of numerals in designed numeral-context, related issues therefore were explored:1. the numeral and space correlation happens on a neural basis or it's a result of culture and education;2. the property of the numeral space association and mental number line;3. the difference of the processing of cross-notation numerals is for the notation-spacific neurons or the cultural factors;4. the phase of the processing of numerals when the numeral space association is activated;5. the representation of numerals are continuous or discontinuous, exact or approximate.Experiment1-4adopted Arabic numbers as the cue preceding the detecting target. Experiment1adopted positive numbers and0mixed as cues, to explore the association between positive numbers and0and space. Results showed that the processing of0,1,2activated the leftward spatial representation, the processing of8,9activated the rightward spatial representation. Experiment2adopted negative numbers and0mixed as cues, to explore the association between negative numbers and0and space. Results showed that the processing of0,-1,-2activated the leftward spatial representation, the processing of8,9activated the rightward spatial representation, suggested that only absolute value of negative numbers were processed, the numerical value were not activated in this numerical context. Experiment3adopted positive and negative numbers mixed as cues, to explore the association between positive and negative numbers and space. Results showed that without0, only absolute values of negative numbers were processed; the numerical values were not activated in this numerical context. Experiment4adopted positive and negative numbers, together with0mixed as cues, to explore the association between positive, negative numbers,0and space. Results showed that in the numerical context with0, positive numbers,0and negative numbers were represented as their numerical value on a mental number line, which extended from leftward space to rightward space, with negative numbers on the left, positive numbers on the right, and0in the middle. The4experiments with Arabic numbers as cues suggested that mental number line is dynamic and flexible; its forming is context-dependent. Experiment5-6adopted non-symbolic numerosity (array of dots) as the cue preceding the detecting target. Experiment5explored the processing of non-symbolic numerosity and0as an abstract concept. Results showed that he processing of dot array of1,2activated the leftward spatial representation, the processing of dot array of8,9activated the rightward spatial representation, o failed to activate any spatial representation, suggested that nonsymbolic numerosity can automatically activate the magnitude information and spatial representation, except0as an abstract concepts. Experiment6explored the processing of non-symbolic numerosity and0as a gradually decreasing quantity concept. Results of a significant interaction between numeral and space showed that the processing of dot array of1,2activated the leftward spatial representation, the processing of dot array of8,9activated the rightward spatial representation, o transmit some leftward spatial information, suggested that nonsymbolic numerosity can automatically activate the magnitude information and spatial representation, except0as an abstract concepts. Experiment7-10adopted English words:zero, one, two, eight, nine, negative one, negative two, negative eight, negative nine as the cue preceding the detecting target. Experiment7, which adopted positive numeral words and zero as cues; Experiment8, which adopted negative numeral words and zero as cues; and Experiment10, which adopted negative, positive numeral words and zero as cues, found no interaction between numeral and space. Whereas Experiment9, which adopted positive and negative numeral words as cues, found significant interaction between numeral and space, showed that the magnitude was processed and the spatial representation was activated. The results suggested that the semantic and conceptual numerals cannot automatically activate the magnitude information and spatial representation. Experiment11-14adopted numerals in the format of Chinese character as the cue preceding the detecting target. The results showed that no matter in which numeral context, the low level processing of Chinese numeral characters cannot activate magnitude information and spatial representation, suggested that semantice symbols cannot automatically activate spatial representations.Overall, the results of the present study suggested that:1. there are both neural basis and culture account for the numeral and space correlation, for the basic numeral concepts and notations, like positive intergers and non-symbolic numerosity, the association is for the neural basis, and can be activated automatically at low level; whereas the advanced methimatical concepts like0and negative numbers, and the semantic symbols, the association is for culture and education, and cannot be activated automatically;2. the property of the numeral space association and mental mumber line is danamic and flexible, there is a context-dependent property across different numeral motations;3. the difference of the processing of cross-notation numerals is for the notation-spacific neurons or the cultural factors;4. the phase of the processing of numerals when the numeral space association is activated is on the early stage of the processing, it can automatically activate the association at a low level;5. the representation of numerals can be both continuous and discontinuous, exact and approximate. |
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