Michal Pinhas

Ariel University · Department of Psychology

The brain activity associated with processing numerical end values has received limited research attention. The present study explored the neural correlates associated with processing semantic end values under conditions of automatic number processing. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded while participants performed the numerical Stroop t...

Past research indicates that concepts of infinity are not fully understood. In countably infinite sets, infinity is presumed to be perceived as larger than any finite natural number. This study explored whether symbolic representations of infinity are processed as such through contrasts with Arabic and verbal written numbers. Comparisons between th...

The ability to recognize the smallest/largest objects or numbers in our environment is an essential cognitive skill, however, little is known about perceiving multidigit numbers as end-values. The present study examined end effects in multidigit numbers and whether such effects are impacted by number length, which captures the numeric scale (e.g.,...

Exponential expressions represent series that grow at a fast pace such as carbon pollution and the spread of disease. Despite their importance, people tend to struggle with these expressions. In two experiments, participants chose the larger of two exponential expressions as quickly and accurately as possible. We manipulated the distance between th...

In the current study, we show that Exponential Growth Estimation (EGU) is susceptible to cognitive biases. Three pre-registered experiments (total N = 2,836) revealed that EGU varies depending on whether the estimation concerns coronavirus infection or recovery. This discrepancy is not linked to emotional or behavioral factors like virus concerns o...

Exponential expressions represent series that grow at an unfixed pace such as carbon pollution and the spread of disease. Despite their importance, people tend to struggle with these expressions. In two experiments, participants chose the larger of two exponential expressions as quickly and accurately as possible. We manipulated the distance betwee...

Previous research has shown that multi-digit number processing is modulated by both place-value and physical size of the digits. By pitting place-value against physical size, the present study examined whether one of the attributes had a greater impact on the automatic processing of multi-digit numbers. In three experiments, participants were prese...

Our mental representation of the infinite has received little research attention in cognitive psychology. In countably infinite sets, the infinity symbol (∞) is presumed to be perceived as larger than any finite natural number. The present study sought to explore if the infinity symbol is processed as “larger than” natural numbers, and, if so, whet...

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) research indicates that hyper-reactivity to trauma-related stimuli reflects reduced prefrontal cortex (PFC) modulation of amygdala reactivity. However, other studies indicate a dissociative “shutdown” reaction to overwhelming aversive stimuli, possibly reflecting PFC over-modulation. To explore this, we used an...

Background A hallmark of the approximate number system (ANS) is ratio dependence. Previous work identified specific event-related potentials (ERPs) that are modulated by numerical ratio throughout the lifespan. In adults, ERP ratio dependence was correlated with the precision of the numerical judgments with individuals who make more precise judgmen...

Little is known about the perception of multi-digit number magnitude, and what causes us to categorize these numbers as “small/large” or “smallest/largest.” The present study examined end effects in multi-digit numbers and whether such effects are impacted by numerical syntax. Across four experiments, participants performed three types of numerical...

Previous research has shown that null numerosity can be processed as a numerical entity that is represented together with non-null numerosities on the same magnitude system. The present study examined which conditions enable perceiving nonsymbolic (i.e., an empty set) and symbolic (i.e., 0) representations of null numerosity as a numerical entity,...

Little is known about the mental representation of large multidigit numbers that are usually beyond our personal experience. The present study explored the processing mechanisms of these numbers in a series of experiments, using the numerical comparison task. Experiment 1 included within and between-scale comparisons of multidigit numbers varying i...

We agree with Clarke and Beck that the approximate number system represents rational numbers, and we demonstrate our support by highlighting the case of the empty set – the non-symbolic manifestation of zero. It is particularly interesting because of its perceptual and semantic uniqueness, and its exploration reveals fundamental new insights about...

Previous work using the numerical comparison task has shown that an empty set, the nonsymbolic manifestation of zero, can be represented as the smallest quantity of the numerical magnitude system. In the present study, we examined whether an empty set can be represented as such under conditions of automatic processing in which deliberate processing...

Little is known about the mental representation of exponential expressions. The present study examined the automatic processing of exponential expressions under the framework of multi-digit numbers, specifically asking which component of the expression (i.e., the base/power) is more salient during this type of processing. In a series of three exper...

The question whether human beings process empty sets as zero has received little research attention. In this study, we used the distance and end effects as indicators for treating empty sets as a numerical entity that represents an absence of quantity. In a series of experiments, participants performed a magnitude comparison task. They were present...

Background: Event-Related Potential (ERP) studies of PTSD have reported enhanced P3 amplitudes in response to trauma-related stimuli that are less likely to habituate over time. Methods: In the present study, we compared ERPs to the first and last half of an auditory novelty oddball task using neutral (trauma-unrelated) stimuli. Participants wer...

Mental arithmetic is characterised by a tendency to overestimate addition and to underestimate subtraction results: the operational momentum (OM) effect. Here, motivated by contentious explanations of this effect, we developed and tested an arithmetic heuristics and biases model that predicts reverse OM due to cognitive anchoring effects. Participa...

Number processing evokes spatial biases, both when dealing with single digits and in more complex mental calculations. Here we investigated whether these two biases have a common origin, by examining their flexibility. Participants pointed to the locations of arithmetic results on a visually presented line with an inverted, right-to-left number arr...

Little is known about the neural underpinnings of number word comprehension in young children. Here we investigated the neural processing of these words during the crucial devel-opmental window in which children learn their meanings and asked whether such processing relies on the Approximate Number System. ERPs were recorded as 3-to 5-year-old chil...

This book provides a comprehensive overview of numerical cognition by bringing together writing by leading researchers in psychology, neuroscience, and education, covering work using different methodological approaches in humans and animals. During the last decade there had been an explosion of studies and new findings with theoretical and translat...

Abstract Mental arithmetic shows systematic spatial biases. The association between numbers and space is well documented, but it is unknown whether arithmetic operation signs also have spatial associations and whether or not they contribute to spatial biases found in arithmetic. Adult participants classified plus and minus signs with left and right...

The representation of numbers is commonly viewed as an ordered continuum of magnitudes, referred to as the mental number line. Previous work has repeatedly shown that number representations evoked by a given task can be easily altered, yielding an ongoing discussion about the basic properties of the mental number line and how malleable they are. He...

The representation of 0 in healthy adults was studied with the physical comparison task. Automatic processing of numbers, as indicated by the size congruity effect, was used for detecting the basic numerical representations stored in long-term memory. The size congruity effect usually increases with numerical distance between the physically compare...

Research in cognitive science has documented numerous phenomena that are approximated by linear relationships. In the domain of numerical cognition, the use of linear regression for estimating linear effects (e.g., distance and SNARC effects) became common following Fias, Brysbaert, Geypens, and d'Ydewalle's (1996) study on the SNARC effect. While...

To address the ongoing debate about the origins of the size effect (faster comparison time for smaller than larger numbers, given a fixed intrapair distance), an indication of automatic number processing was searched for. Participants performed a quantity comparison task in which they had to decide which of two sketched cups contained more liquid,...

Past research suggested that negative numbers are represented in terms of their components--the polarity marker and the number (e.g., Fischer & Rottmann, 2005; Ganor-Stern & Tzelgov, 2008). The present study shows that a holistic representation is formed when needed for the task requirement. Specifically, performing the numerical comparison task on...

We agree that the default numerical representation is best accessed by probing automatic processing. The locus of this representation is apparently at the horizontal intraparietal sulcus (HIPS), the convergence zone of magnitude information. The parietal lobes are the right place to look for non-abstract representation of magnitude, yet the proof f...

The effect of presentation mode on magnitude comparisons of two-digit (2D) numbers was examined using the stimuli set developed by Nuerk, Weger, and Willmes (2001). In Experiment 1, only number pairs from difference decades were presented either simultaneously or sequentially. In the former case there was evidence for the parallel processing of bot...

McCrink (McCrink, Dehaene, & Dehaene-Lambertz (2007). Moving along the number line: Operational momentum in nonsymbolic arithmetic. Perception and Psychophysics, 69(8), 1324-1333) documented an "Operational Momentum" (OM) effect - overestimation of addition and underestimation of subtraction outcomes in non-symbolic (dot pattern) arithmetic. We inv...