Digital Spatial Representation Mechanisms, And Psychological Nature Of The Digital Line

The SNARC Effect and Spatial Shifts of Attention ever indicate that there are connections between number processing and representation and space.These discoveries,however, are only regarded with positive numbers presently,there are few effective experimental studies or evidence on the mechanism of the processing and representation of negative numbers with 0,and on the connections between negative numbers with 0 and space.For a lack of effectiveness of the present experimental methodology,it is less than possible to set up research to investigate the secrets behind the processing and representation of negative numbers with 0.As a result,there's uncertainty or unpersuasive answers to the questions about whether there are connections between negative numbers,0 and space;or whether the low level processing of negative numbers with 0 can cause Spatial Shifts of Attention.The present study, which including 3 effective experiments by using stimuli detection task with number cues,was to investigate the connections between negative numbers with 0 and space,and the mechanism of the processing and representation of negative numbers and 0,through observing if the low level processing of negative numbers can cause spatial shifts of attention,and whether it depends upon their magnitude or absolute value.Experiment 1 is a within-subject design of 2(target side:left and right)×2(magnitude of cueing number:small and large)×6(variable delays:50ms,100ms,200ms,300ms,400ms and 500ms).Results from Experiment 1,in which only negative numbers are included,showed that left (right) targets are detected significantly faster than right(left) ones when numbers with small(large) absolute value are preceded,revealing spatial shifts of attention depending upon absolute value of negative numbers.Experiment 2 is 2(target side:left,right)×5(number magnitude:quite small, small,medium,large,quite large)×6(variable delays:50ms,100ms,200ms,300ms,400ms,or 500ms) within subject design,in which both positive and negative numbers,and zero are mixed as cues,showed that left(right) targets are detected significantly faster than right(left) ones when numbers with small(large) magnitude are preceded,revealing spatial shifts of attention depending upon their magnitude,therefore,it can form a mental number line extending to the left side of zero, and representing numbers depending upon number magnitude.Experiment 3 is 2(target side:left, right)×3(number magnitude:small,large,0)×6(variable delays:50ms,100ms,200ms,300ms, 400ms,or 500ms) within subject design,in which only negative numbers with 0 are designed as effective cues,although still merged in the whole mix of all negative,0 and positive numbers as numbers preceding the targets,which means that subjects should only respond to targets preceded by effective cues(negative numbers and 0),while respond silence to targets preceded by non-effective cues(positive numbers).Consistently,spatial shifts of attention depending upon number magnitude are successfully caused by processing effective cueing numbers(-8,-9,-1,-2,0).For a certainty of the minus sign processed with the numbers as a whole,it can be put that there can be a real low-level processing of negative number magnitude to some extent of automation.As a whole,the present study suggested that low level processing of negative numbers as cues can cause spatial shifts of attention,whether it depends upon their magnitude or absolute value. however,seems to depend upon the task requirement and the inter-influence from other employed numbers involving the task;there are connections between negative numbers,0 and space;there can be a real low-level processing of negative number magnitude to some extent of automation;the forming and representing of mental number line is dynamic and flexible to fit the task requirements, mental number line,therefore,can extend to the left side of zero,while representing number magnitude.