Evidence for a Low Number Prior in Children's Intuitive Number Sense
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9646236 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Miranda N Long (0000-0002-5046-6998, University of British Columbia, corresponding author), Darko Odic (0000-0001-5783-2789, University of British Columbia) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 96 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 1546-1554 |
| Publication date | 2025-07-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Child Development (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0009-3920 • E-ISSN: 1467-8624 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1111/cdev.14231 |
| PMID | 40183483 |
| OpenAlex | W4409164621 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 44 |
Children rely on their Approximate Number System to intuitively perceive number. Such adaptations often exhibit sensitivity to real-world statistics. This study investigates a potential manifestation of the ANS's sensitivity to real-world statistics: a negative power-law distribution of objects in natural scenes should be reflected in children's expectations about number, or in more Bayesian terms, a low number prior distribution. Five- to eight-year-old children (n = 80; 39 girls, 41 boys) and adults (n = 20) in 2022 completed a number discrimination task in which one side was corrupted by perceptual noise. Children and adults demonstrate a low number prior. No age-related differences were observed, suggesting that the prior is formed by age five and does not strengthen with age
Bayesian probability · Cognitive psychology · Developmental psychology · Number sense · Perception · Sensitivity (control systems) · Statistics · Task (project management) · Cognitive and developmental aspects of mathematical skills · Mathematics · Mathematics Education and Teaching Techniques · Psychology · Visual perception and processing mechanisms
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| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |