Signatures of a Direct Sense of Number

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Background

Humans, including infants, and many other species, share the ability for rapid estimation of numerosity. This ability is also proposed to serve as an important basis for advanced mathematical thinking. Hitherto, a series of studies show interest in how we estimate the number of objects in a scene, however, the mechanisms underlying this is still not clear. Some researchers propose that there is a direct and dedicated mechanism for a sense of number, whereas others maintain that the perception of numerosity is a by-product of the analyses of continuous magnitudes, e.g., the number is calculated via density combined with area estimates. We propose a research topic that aims to consolidate recent developments in “signatures of a direct sense of number”.
Nevertheless, it is a controversial statement and we accept provocative work that goes against or limits the concept of a direct sense of number.
This topic aims：
(1)To illuminate the developments in studies of number perception with a specific emphasis on the evidence for signatures of a direct number sense.
(2)To analyze the discussion on the issue of whether the perception of number is primary, or whether it depends on other features.
(3)To highlight the interactions between numerosity processing and the processing of low-level features, such as area, ink, or density, as well as the effects of symmetry or connectedness.
(4)To achieve a deeper understanding of how the numerosity mechanism operates in the brain via developing neural network models teaching computers to perform numerosity discrimination.
(5)To describe the development of the human capacity to process numerosity.
(6)To discuss the association between numerosity processing and mathematical ability.
We propose a research topic that aims to consolidate recent developments in the behavioral, psychophysical, neuroimaging, clinical, and theoretical studies of numerosity perception with an emphasis on the evidence for signatures of a direct number sense. Since this is a controversial field, we welcome any contribution both in favour and against it. Studies that go against or limit the concept of direct number sense are also encouraged. Computational or neural network models showing how to teach a network to perform numerosity discrimination are also expected. We also welcome studies discussing the association between nonsymbolic numerosity processing and mathematical abilities, as well as the studies describing the development of human’s capacity for processing numerosity.

Keywords: number sense, numerical cognition, approximate number system, numerosity mechanism, adaptation, continuous magnitudes, density mechanism, perceived area, computational model, mathematical abilities

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