Questioning weber-fechner law in young children's numerical estimation strategies

The subjective number-space mapping and, especially, its evolution in young children has been the subject of intense controversy among different competing models. Many studies point out that: (i) young children's innate estimates follow a logarithmic mapping (Weber-Fechner law) and (ii) driven...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Discover education 2024-11, Vol.3 (1), p.1-12, Article 206
Main Authors: Ballesteros, Fernando J., Luque, Bartolo, Filgaira, Herminia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Computers and Education
Culture
Education
Mathematical cognition
Numerical cognition
Sociology of Education
Spatial cognition
Weber-Fechner law
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Summary:The subjective number-space mapping and, especially, its evolution in young children has been the subject of intense controversy among different competing models. Many studies point out that: (i) young children's innate estimates follow a logarithmic mapping (Weber-Fechner law) and (ii) driven by education, children evolve into a linear mapping. In this paper we show, in consonance with other investigations, that innate numerical intuitions of young children are in fact a linear mapping, and not a logarithmic one. We found that young children extrapolate linearly from a reference point. The apparent logarithmic mapping is an artifact produced by placing a huge range of numbers within a small number line. We show how the appearance of the mapping can be modulated by changing the size and contour conditions of the number lines used in experiments.
ISSN:2731-5525
2731-5525
DOI:10.1007/s44217-024-00318-0