Nuerk, H. 1, 2 , Fischer, U. 1 , Moeller, K. 1, 2 & Cress, U. 1
1 Knowledge Media Research Center, Tuebingen, Germany
2 Institute of Psychology, Eberhard Karls University, Tuebingen, Germany
In recent years, the predictive value of children's early basic numerical competencies for their future arithmetic abilities has received growing interest. One of these basic numerical skills is the spatial representation of magnitude (mental number line representation). However, while correlative relationships are now well established, the causal links are weak, i.e., intervention studies training spatial-numerical relationships are still scarce. Therefore, we designed a new spatial-numerical training program that was supposed to increase accuracy of kindergarten children's mental number line representation. We tried to achieve this by associating both responses and presentation of the stimuli with the spatial orientation (left to right) of the mental number line representation. More precisely, children were trained in a magnitude comparison task employing an embodied cognition approach. They had to respond by a full-body spatial movement (i.e., step left or step right) on a digital dance mat while stimuli were presented along a left-to-right oriented number line in the experimental condition. This spatial-numerical training was more effective than a non-spatial control training (without a full-body response and without presentation of a number line) in enhancing children's performance in both a number line estimation task and a subtest of a standardized mathematical achievement battery (TEDI-MATH). These results suggest that training the mental number line by spatial congruency of a numerical stimulus and full-body response is successful and can increase numerical capabilities even in transfer tasks. Studies that are currently in progress will a) expand the current results to other new digital media (such as interactive whiteboards) and b) identify the specific constellations of response and presentation factors responsible for the greater effectiveness of the spatial-numerical training employing an embodied cognition approach.