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Cognitive control in number magnitude processing: evidence from eye-tracking

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Abstract

The unit-decade compatibility effect describes longer response times and higher error rates for incompatible (e.g., 37_52) than compatible (e.g., 42_57) number comparisons. Recent research indicated that the effect depends on the percentage of same-decade filler items. In the present study, we further examined this relationship by recording participants’ eye-fixation behaviour. In four conditions, participants had to compare item sets with different filler item types (i.e., same-decade and same-unit filler items) and different numbers of same-decade filler items (i.e., 25, 50, and 75 %). We found a weaker unit-decade compatibility effect with most fixations on tens in the condition with same-unit filler items. Moreover, the compatibility effect increased with the percentage of same-decade filler items which was accompanied by less fixations on tens and more fixations on units. Thus, our study provides first eye-tracking evidence for the influence of cognitive control in number processing.

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Notes

  1. Please note that in the literature same-decade fillers are usually referred to as within-decade fillers. However, to improve discernibility from same-unit fillers (e.g., 53_73) in our qualitative manipulation of filler items, we decided to use these more distinctive terms.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Ian Mackenzie for proof-reading of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Knowledge Media Research Center, Schleichstrasse 6, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany

    S. Huber, H.-C. Nuerk & K. Moeller

  2. Department of Psychology, Eberhard Karls University, Tuebingen, Germany

    A. Mann & H.-C. Nuerk

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  1. S. Huber
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  2. A. Mann
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  3. H.-C. Nuerk
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  4. K. Moeller
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Correspondence to S. Huber.

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Huber, S., Mann, A., Nuerk, HC. et al. Cognitive control in number magnitude processing: evidence from eye-tracking. Psychological Research 78, 539–548 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-013-0504-x

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