W8 ONLY EXAMINABLE CONTENT Flashcards
Why is set size important?
Set size determines how well infants and children can track and compare numbers. Small sets (1-3) are tracked precisely, while larger sets rely on approximate number sense and ratio differences.
What is cardinality?
The number of elements in a set.
What is the cardinality principle?
The number word applied to the final item in a set represents the number of elements in the set (e.g., counting “1, 2, 3” means there are three objects).
What is the successor function?
The successor function establishes the relationship between numbers/numeral, showing that each number’s value is one greater than the preceding number. (e.g., after “3” comes “4,” which means one more than 3).
What does it mean if a child can count but doesn’t understand cardinality?
It means the child can recite number words in order, but doesn’t grasp that the last number they say tells them “how many” items there are in total. They may count “1, 2, 3,” but not realize that “3” represents the entire group.
What is a Give-N task?
The Give-N task tests children’s understanding of number words by asking them to give a specific number of objects (e.g., “Give me 3 blocks”). It is used to assess when children grasp the meanings of number words (Lee & Sarnecka, 2010).
What is a count list, and does reciting it mean a child understands numbers?
A count list is the ordered sequence of number words (e.g., “one, two, three…”). However, reciting it does not mean a child understands what the words mean—children can say the numbers before grasping how counting works, which usually happens around age 4.
What is non-symbolic number representation?
The ability to understand and estimate quantities without using symbols like numerals.
You can perceive numerical magnitude through visual arrays e.g collection of dots.
What are non symbolic number systems?
Distinct systems for representing numerosity, allowing us to operate without counting and track numerosity without knowing number words.
What are the two non-symbolic number systems?
1) Analog magnitude system is our brain’s approximate number sense. It represents quantities as noisy magnitudes, enabling us to distinguish between significantly different amounts (like 10 vs. 20) but struggling with close values (like 20 vs. 21) estimating system for approximating large numbers
2) Object individuation system precisely represents small numbers of individuals (up to ~3). It allows for rapid discrimination of small sets (e.g., 2 vs. 3) but fails with larger numbers (e.g., 8 vs. 9).
Precisely processing discrete small numbers
What methods are used to study numerical cognition in infancy?
Looking time methods e.g violation of expectation, preferential looking
Manual search
Choice (e.g crawling to selected location/object)
What numerical abilities are evident in infants, and what does this suggest about their cognitive development?
Infants demonstrate an early sensitivity to numerosity, or the quantity of items.
Visual Numerosity (6-month-olds):
Spelke & Xu (2000) showed that 6-month-old infants can distinguish between different quantities of visual items (e.g., 8 vs. 16 dots). This suggests they possess an “analog magnitude system” for representing approximate quantities.
Cross-Modal Numerosity (Newborns):
Izard et al. (2009) found that newborns can match auditory and visual numerical information/arrays (e.g., 4 sounds matched with 4 visual items). This indicates that the ability to represent abstract numerical properties exists at birth and is not limited to a single sensory modality.
What is the non-symbolic analog magnitude system?
Your brain’s built-in ability to estimate and compare quantities without using exact numbers or symbols
What are the key features of the non-symbolic analog magnitude system?
This system is available since birth 🍼
A part of core number knowledge
Supports approximate representation of large sets/number
What is the object individuation system?
The object individuation system is the cognitive ability to track and distinguish individual objects within a set, allowing one to understand “how many distinct things” are present
What are the main features of the object individuation system?
Operational during the first year of life.
Supports precise representation of small number sets.
Tracks up to 3 objects at a time.
Enables interpretation of addition and subtraction.
Part of core number knowledge.
Can infants understand addition and subtraction? (conduct object individuation)
Wynn (1992) (5-month-olds) Infants looked longer when the number of puppets was wrong. 👀 They are able to kept track of objects behind a screen. Suggests early understanding of addition & subtraction.
What do toddlers understand about counting?
Toddlers seem to know that counting involves:
Counting is in a Stable order – using the same labels in the same order (even if idiosyncratic) (e.g., “1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 11”) (Gelman & Gallistel, 1978).
One-to-one – assigning one label per object (Gelman & Meck, 1983).
