The Neurocognitive Bases of Numerical Cognition

Numerical Cognition describes the processes that one uses to assimilate, ascribe andmanipulate numerical information. This chapter is organised into two sections. The firstdraws heavily on data from Developmental and Experimental Psychology. We use this tooutline core findings related to processing numerical information in humans. In particular, wedescribe the trajectory of the acquisition of basic numerical skills. Starting in early infancy,we outline the processes that are believed to underlie non-symbolic representation. Next, wesummarise core studies that examine the representation of symbolic quantities (Arabicsystem). Lastly, we briefly report the relationship between basic numerical processing andmathematical achievement. The second part of the chapter explores evidence fromNeuropsychology and Neuroscience. The core methodological approaches used are brieflyoutlined with sign-posting to relevant literature. Next, we examine data from early lesionstudies, followed by a short review of one of the most influential models in the study ofNumerical Cognition, the Triple Code Model. Lastly, we look at the neurocognitive featuresof number, such as different modes of representation and the processing of quantity.Throughout, the core literature plus recent advances are summarised, giving the reader athorough grounding in the Neurocognitive Bases of Numerical Cognition.This preprint outlines a forthcoming chapter on the subject of ‘Numerical Cognition’ for inclusion in the forthcoming work tentatively entitled Stevens' Handbook of Experimental Psychology, Fourth Edition, Volume Three: Language & Thought (the “Work”), authored/edited by Sharon L. Thompson-Schill, due to be published by JOHN WILEY and SONS in 2017