ERP differences in processing canonical and noncanonical finger-numeral configurations

Abstract

Finger-numeral configurations are used to represent numerosities, to count, and to do arithmetic across cultures. Previous research has distinguished between two forms of finger-numeral configurations; finger montring and finger counting. Montring refers to how people raise their fingers to show numerosities to others and usually serves a communicative function. Finger counting is used both for counting and arithmetic, and has a self-directed, facilitative function. In this study we compared the ERP markers for recognition of montring, counting, and noncanonical finger-numeral configurations with adult participants to explore differences in early perceptual and later semantic processing. Montring configurations were recognized faster and more accurately compared to counting and noncanonical. Recognition of montring configurations drew larger attentional resources, marked by higher positivity in the P1/N1 range, and montring and counting showed similar patterns of semantic processing, marked by higher positivity in the P3 range compared to noncanonical, possibly due to strategy differences (memory recall vs. counting). We also found some ERP evidence for participants' finger counting habits affecting their processing of counting configurations. Overall, the results show differences in perceptual and semantic processes involved in extracting numerical information across the three finger-numeral configurations.

Keywords: Canonical; Counting; ERP; Finger-numeral configurations; Montring; Numerical cognition.