What is in a reach? Domain-general spatial modulation of motor responses by number representations
Author(s) / Creator(s)
Alonso-Diaz, Santiago
Gaffin-Cahn, Elon
Mahon, Bradford Z.
Cantlon, Jessica F.
Abstract / Description
Gaze, pointing, and reaching movements are thought to provide a window to internal cognitive states. In the case of numerical cognition, it has been found that the left-right deviation of a reaching movement is modulated by the relative magnitude of values in a number comparison task. Some have argued that these patterns directly reflect the representation of a logarithmically compressed mental number line (direct mapping view). However, other studies suggest that the modulation of motor outputs by numerical value could be a more general decision-making phenomenon (response competition view). Here we test the generality of interactions between the motor system and numerical processing by comparing subjects' reach trajectories during two different nonverbal tasks: numerosity comparison and facial expression comparison. We found that reaching patterns were practically identical in both tasks – reach trajectories were equally sensitive to stimulus similarity in the numerical and face comparisons. The data provide strong support for the response competition view that motor outputs are modulated by domain-general decision processes, and reflect generic decision confidence or accumulation of evidence related to mental comparison.
Keyword(s)
numerosity comparison emotion comparison motor planning reachPersistent Identifier
Date of first publication
2017-12-22
Journal title
Journal of Numerical Cognition
Volume
3
Issue
2
Page numbers
212–229
Publisher
PsychOpen GOLD
Publication status
publishedVersion
Review status
peerReviewed
Is version of
Citation
Alonso-Diaz, S., Gaffin-Cahn, E., Mahon, B. Z., & Cantlon, J. F. (2017). What is in a reach? Domain-general spatial modulation of motor responses by number representations. Journal of Numerical Cognition, 3(2), 212–229. https://doi.org/10.5964/jnc.v3i2.28
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Alonso-Diaz, Santiago
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Gaffin-Cahn, Elon
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Mahon, Bradford Z.
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Cantlon, Jessica F.
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PsychArchives acquisition timestamp2018-11-21T11:42:44Z
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Made available on2018-11-21T11:42:44Z
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Date of first publication2017-12-22
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Abstract / DescriptionGaze, pointing, and reaching movements are thought to provide a window to internal cognitive states. In the case of numerical cognition, it has been found that the left-right deviation of a reaching movement is modulated by the relative magnitude of values in a number comparison task. Some have argued that these patterns directly reflect the representation of a logarithmically compressed mental number line (direct mapping view). However, other studies suggest that the modulation of motor outputs by numerical value could be a more general decision-making phenomenon (response competition view). Here we test the generality of interactions between the motor system and numerical processing by comparing subjects' reach trajectories during two different nonverbal tasks: numerosity comparison and facial expression comparison. We found that reaching patterns were practically identical in both tasks – reach trajectories were equally sensitive to stimulus similarity in the numerical and face comparisons. The data provide strong support for the response competition view that motor outputs are modulated by domain-general decision processes, and reflect generic decision confidence or accumulation of evidence related to mental comparison.en_US
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Publication statuspublishedVersion
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Review statuspeerReviewed
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CitationAlonso-Diaz, S., Gaffin-Cahn, E., Mahon, B. Z., & Cantlon, J. F. (2017). What is in a reach? Domain-general spatial modulation of motor responses by number representations. Journal of Numerical Cognition, 3(2), 212–229. https://doi.org/10.5964/jnc.v3i2.28en_US
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ISSN2363-8761
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Persistent Identifierhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1252
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Persistent Identifierhttps://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.1444
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Language of contenteng
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PublisherPsychOpen GOLD
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Is version ofhttps://doi.org/10.5964/jnc.v3i2.28
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Keyword(s)numerosity comparisonen_US
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Keyword(s)emotion comparisonen_US
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Keyword(s)motor planningen_US
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Keyword(s)reachen_US
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Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)150
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TitleWhat is in a reach? Domain-general spatial modulation of motor responses by number representationsen_US
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DRO typearticle
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Issue2
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Journal titleJournal of Numerical Cognition
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Page numbers212–229
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Volume3
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Visible tag(s)Version of Record