Abu Mallouh, R. 1 , García-Orza, J. 2 , Perea, M. 3 & Carreiras, M. 1
1 BCBL
2 Universidad de Málaga
3 Universitat de València
One common assumption in the field of numerical cognition is that integers automatically activate the quantity they represent. One key phenomenon supporting this view is the “distance effect” in perceptual tasks: when comparing two numbers, reaction times are a function of the numerical distance between them. However, in a recent study, D.J. Cohen (2009) reported that: i) that the physical similarity between Arabic numbers and the numerical distance are strongly correlated; and ii) when reaction times are regressed on physical similarity and numerical distance, the former is a better predictor of the distance effect. Cohen concluded that integers do not automatically their quantity representation. The aim of the present study is to shed more light on this issue by exploring Indian numerals and using an empirical measure of similarity. Twenty participants from Pakistan and 20 native speakers of Spanish (with no knowledge of Indian numbers) participated in a same/different Indian number matching task similar to that employed by Cohen (2009). The reaction times from the Spanish participants were employed as a measure of perceptual similarity. Pakistanis participants’ reaction times were regressed on the perceptual similarity and the numerical distance effect. No contribution of quantity representation was found while we found a significant contribution of perceptual similarity. Thus, at least in simple, perceptual tasks numbers are compared according to their perceptual characteristics without accessing to their quantity representation.