Newborns' Asymmetrical Processing of Order From Sequentially Presented Magnitudes

Bibliographic Data

ID9646229
AuthorsMartina Arioli (0000-0001-7704-2629, University of Milano-Bicocca, corresponding author), Valentina Silvestri (0000-0001-7362-0663, University of Milano-Bicocca), Angelo Petrelli (Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milano , Milan), Daniela Morniroli (0000-0003-4616-5081, Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milano , Milan), Maria Lorella Giannì (0000-0003-3901-9131, Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milano , Milan), Hermann Bulf (0000-0003-4121-1341, University of Milano-Bicocca), Viola Macchi Cassia (0000-0002-9983-8254, University of Milano-Bicocca)
Year2025
Volume96
Issue6
Pages2079-2096
Publication date2025-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueChild Development (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0009-3920 • E-ISSN: 1467-8624
PublisherOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1111/cdev.70025
PMID40770928
OpenAlexW4413036132
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited82

Four-month-old infants extract ordinal information in number-based and size-based visual sequences, provided that magnitude changes involve increasing relations. Here the ontogenetic origins of ordinal processing were investigated between 2018 and 2022 by testing newborns' discrimination of reversal in numerosity (Experiment 1, N = 22 White, 11 females), numerical order in the presence of redundant non-numerical quantitative cues (Experiment 2, N = 44 White, 23 females), or size-based order (Experiment 3, N = 44 White, 21 females). Newborns' post-habituation preferences revealed successful discrimination only when both numerical (items' number) and non-numerical (items' size) cues concurrently changed, and following habituation to increasing order (p = 0.017, η2p = 0.135). These findings, along with evidence from older infants and non-human animals, suggest continuity in magnitude representation across ontogenetic and phylogenetic levels

Cognition · Developmental psychology · Habituation · Numerical cognition · Numerosity adaptation effect · Perception · Representation (politics) · Cognitive and developmental aspects of mathematical skills · Multisensory perception and integration · Neuroscience · Psychology · Reading and Literacy Development

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