NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
Peer reviewed Peer reviewed
Direct linkDirect link
ERIC Number: EJ1101618
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1524-8372
EISSN: N/A
Numerical Estimation in Children for Both Positive and Negative Numbers
Brez, Caitlin C.; Miller, Angela D.; Ramirez, Erin M.
Journal of Cognition and Development, v17 n2 p341-358 2016
Numerical estimation has been used to study how children mentally represent numbers for many years (e.g., Siegler & Opfer, 2003). However, these studies have always presented children with positive numbers and positive number lines. Children's mental representation of negative numbers has never been addressed. The present study tested children in the 2nd, 4th, and 6th grades to assess their mental representations of both positive and negative numbers using a standard numerical estimation task. We replicated the shift from a logarithmic to linear representation for positive numbers (0-1,000 scale) in that 2nd graders represented positive numbers logarithmically, but 4th and 6th graders represented the numbers linearly. Furthermore, children's representation of negative numbers paralleled their representations of positive numbers and showed the same shift from a logarithmic representation at Grade 2 to linear representations at Grades 4 and 6. This is the first study to provide data on children's representation of negative numbers, and the implications of these findings are discussed.
Psychology Press. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Grade 2; Primary Education; Elementary Education; Early Childhood Education; Grade 4; Intermediate Grades; Grade 6; Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A