When meaningful components interrupt the processing of the whole: The case of fractions

Arava Y. Kallai; Joseph Tzelgov

doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2011.11.009

When meaningful components interrupt the processing of the whole: The case of fractions

Arava Y. Kallai, Joseph Tzelgov

Department of Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

31 Scopus citations

Abstract

Numerical fractions are composed of a numerator and a denominator that are natural numbers. These components influence processing of the fraction. This study was conducted to test whether eliminating the fractional components would result in the processing of fractions as unique numerical entities. Participants that learned to relate fractional values to arbitrary figures in a training task showed automatic processing of the numerical values of the new figures. The processing of fractions written in regular form improved following training, but did not show automatic processing. The results suggest that eliminating the influence of the fractional components allowed individual fractions to be represented in long-term memory.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	358-369
Number of pages	12
Journal	Acta Psychologica
Volume	139
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2011.11.009
State	Published - 1 Feb 2012

Keywords

Automatic processing
Fractions
Mental representations
Numerical representation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Developmental and Educational Psychology
Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.actpsy.2011.11.009

Cite this

@article{6e78d69db1024d4c92056b8ff0ae5ebd,

title = "When meaningful components interrupt the processing of the whole: The case of fractions",

abstract = "Numerical fractions are composed of a numerator and a denominator that are natural numbers. These components influence processing of the fraction. This study was conducted to test whether eliminating the fractional components would result in the processing of fractions as unique numerical entities. Participants that learned to relate fractional values to arbitrary figures in a training task showed automatic processing of the numerical values of the new figures. The processing of fractions written in regular form improved following training, but did not show automatic processing. The results suggest that eliminating the influence of the fractional components allowed individual fractions to be represented in long-term memory.",

keywords = "Automatic processing, Fractions, Mental representations, Numerical representation",

author = "Kallai, {Arava Y.} and Joseph Tzelgov",

note = "Funding Information: This research is based on a PhD thesis performed at Ben-Gurion University by the first author under the supervision of the second. It was supported by the Israeli Academy of Sciences (grant 825 ), and by grant No. 1664/08 for the Center for the Study of the Neurocognitive Basis of Numerical Cognition from the Israel Science Foundation . ",

year = "2012",

month = feb,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.actpsy.2011.11.009",

language = "English",

volume = "139",

pages = "358--369",

journal = "Acta Psychologica",

issn = "0001-6918",

publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

number = "2",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - When meaningful components interrupt the processing of the whole

T2 - The case of fractions

AU - Kallai, Arava Y.

AU - Tzelgov, Joseph

N1 - Funding Information: This research is based on a PhD thesis performed at Ben-Gurion University by the first author under the supervision of the second. It was supported by the Israeli Academy of Sciences (grant 825 ), and by grant No. 1664/08 for the Center for the Study of the Neurocognitive Basis of Numerical Cognition from the Israel Science Foundation .

PY - 2012/2/1

Y1 - 2012/2/1

N2 - Numerical fractions are composed of a numerator and a denominator that are natural numbers. These components influence processing of the fraction. This study was conducted to test whether eliminating the fractional components would result in the processing of fractions as unique numerical entities. Participants that learned to relate fractional values to arbitrary figures in a training task showed automatic processing of the numerical values of the new figures. The processing of fractions written in regular form improved following training, but did not show automatic processing. The results suggest that eliminating the influence of the fractional components allowed individual fractions to be represented in long-term memory.

AB - Numerical fractions are composed of a numerator and a denominator that are natural numbers. These components influence processing of the fraction. This study was conducted to test whether eliminating the fractional components would result in the processing of fractions as unique numerical entities. Participants that learned to relate fractional values to arbitrary figures in a training task showed automatic processing of the numerical values of the new figures. The processing of fractions written in regular form improved following training, but did not show automatic processing. The results suggest that eliminating the influence of the fractional components allowed individual fractions to be represented in long-term memory.

KW - Automatic processing

KW - Fractions

KW - Mental representations

KW - Numerical representation

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84856514049&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.actpsy.2011.11.009

DO - 10.1016/j.actpsy.2011.11.009

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84856514049

SN - 0001-6918

VL - 139

SP - 358

EP - 369

JO - Acta Psychologica

JF - Acta Psychologica

IS - 2

ER -

When meaningful components interrupt the processing of the whole: The case of fractions

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this