Schedule of Events | Symposia

Electrophysiological and Behavioral Indices of Numerical Perception and Cognition

Poster Session F - Tuesday, April 1, 2025, 8:00 – 10:00 am EDT, Back Bay Ballroom/Republic Ballroom

Jean Ee Tang¹ (jt2615@tc.columbia.edu), Yuexin Li, Paul Smith, Janiece Spitzmueller, Yuri Gushiken, Christofer Tobing, Peter Gordon; ¹Teachers College, Columbia University

This study explores the neurobehavioral mechanisms underlying the perception of small (1–3) vs. large (4–6) numbers and the effects of numerical change directionality using a 128-channel EEG system. Twenty-four adult participants viewed sequentially-presented dot arrays (1–6 dots) and were asked to detect numerical changes. Reaction time (RT) and accuracy was recorded. Numerical changes were categorized into six conditions based on target size (Small, Large, Crossover) and direction (Increasing, Decreasing), alongside a "No Change" baseline. Event-related potential (ERP) analyses targeted the N1 and P3b components to examine sensory encoding and cognitive context-updating. In Change conditions, Directionality influenced N1 peak latency, with Decreasing change eliciting later peaks. There was an interaction effect of Directionality and Size on N1 amplitude, where Decreasing change had weaker amplitudes than Increasing for Small and Crossover targets, except for Large, suggesting an "off-loading" of perceptual load. P3b amplitudes highlighted a categorical distinction between small and large numbers, with small-number targets eliciting higher amplitudes, reflecting easier context-updating. Large-number targets were more challenging, evidenced by lower accuracy, longer RTs, and attenuated P3b amplitudes. Similarly, Size (not Directionality) influenced P3b latency, where larger sets elicited earlier P3b peaks. These findings reveal a neurobehavioral distinction between small and large numbers, with early sensory encoding sensitive to directionality and later cognitive context-updating emphasizing numerical size. This study extends models of numerical cognition by linking perceptual and cognitive processes in numerical change detection.

Topic Area: PERCEPTION & ACTION: Vision