Links Between the Intuitive Sense of Number and Formal Mathematics Ability

• DOI: 10.1111/cdep.12019
• Publication Date: 2013-01-18T18:37:11Z
• Authors: Lisa Feigenson; Melissa E. Libertus; Justin Halberda
• Keywords: Number sense; Foundation (evidence); Numerical Cognition; Formal system

Abstract Humans share with other animals a system for thinking about numbers in an imprecise and intuitive way. The approximate number ( ANS ) that underlies this is present throughout the lifespan, entirely nonverbal, supports basic numerical computations like comparing, adding, subtracting quantities. Humans, unlike animals, also have representing exact numbers. This linguistically mediated slowly mastered over course of many years provides basis most our formal mathematical thought. A growing body evidence suggests nonverbal culturally invented are fundamentally linked. In article, we review relation, describing how group individual differences correlate even predict math ability. way, illustrate ancient core knowledge may serve as foundation more complex