Lines vs. Sounds: Nonsymbolic Ratio Comparison Across Sensory Modalities

• In Event: AERA Research-in-Progress Roundtable Session 1
  In Invited Roundtable: Mathematics Education: Neuroplasticity, Critical Thinking, Engagement, and Culturally Responsive Teaching (Table 10)

Abstract

Previous research extensively examined individuals' abilities to discriminate nonsymbolic ratios represented visually (i.e., ratios composed by juxtaposed pairs of lines or circles, or dots). However, there has been relatively fewer research in the temporal domain. This study seeks to address this gap by investigating participants’ ability to perform ratio comparison tasks using sequences of tones with varying durations and pairs of lines. Our hypothesis is that individuals will be able to discriminate nonsymbolic ratios across different sensory modalities, demonstrating an ability to abstract from concrete representations of ratios and providing insights into the understanding of mathematical symbols. Additionally, we expect higher accuracy in comparisons within the same sensory modality and improved performance when the ratios differ more significantly.

Authors

• Xiang Cheng, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Percival Grant Matthews, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Edward M. Hubbard, University of Wisconsin - Madison