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Developmental continuity in the neural representations of number.

URL to cite or link to: http://hdl.handle.net/1802/34269

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PDF of thesis.
Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Rochester. Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, 2018.
The acquisition of formal mathematics is a uniquely human ability that supports success in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and medicine. Theories of brain evolution suggest that these formal mathematical concepts are grounded in evolutionarily-primitive numerosity representations in the intraparietal sulcus (IPS). Although some studies of cognitive development and some neuroimaging studies with adults and older children suggest that this might be the case, we are missing important data on how the developing brain represents number prior to and in the earliest stages of acquiring mathematics. The present work fills this gap by combining behavioral and neuroimaging approaches to test children in the critical age range of 3 to 8 years. The overarching hypothesis is that if evolutionarily-primitive numerosity representations support the acquisition of formal mathematics, then there should be continuity in the neural representations that underlie numerical development in early childhood. First, I show that the IPS represents numerosities using evolutionarily-primitive mechanisms by 3 to 6 years of age (Chapter 2). Then, across two studies, I show that the intraparietal sulcus represents exact, symbolic numerical concepts in early childhood and is also important for the acquisition of these early mathematical concepts (Chapters 3 & 4). Together these three studies demonstrate developmental continuity in the neural representations of numerical sets, words, and symbols in the intraparietal sulcus. This finding is consistent with the prediction that the acquisition of mathematics builds on evolutionarily-primitive numerosity representations in the intraparietal sulcus and suggests that evolutionary constraints shape children’s learning of mathematical concepts.
Contributor(s):
Alyssa J. Kersey - Author

Jessica F. Cantlon - Thesis Advisor

Primary Item Type:
Thesis
Identifiers:
LCSH Brain--Anatomy.
LCSH Parietal lobes.
Local Call No. AS38.612
LCSH Brain--Evolution.
LCSH Mathematical ability in children.
LCSH Number concept in children.
LCSH Evolutionary developmental biology.
LCSH Mental representation in children.
Language:
English
Subject Keywords:
Cognitive development; Education; fMRI; Mathematics; Number processing
Sponsor - Description:
James S. McDonnell Foundation -
Brain and Cognitive Sciences Dept., University of Rochester -
National Science Foundation (NSF) - DRL-1459625; Graduate Research Fellowship (DGE-1419118)
National Institutes of Health (NIH) - R01 HD064636, R01 HD091104
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation - #220020300
First presented to the public:
8/31/2019
Originally created:
2018
Date will be made available to public:
2019-08-31   
Original Publication Date:
2018
Previously Published By:
University of Rochester
Place Of Publication:
Rochester, N.Y.
Citation:
Extents:
Number of Pages - xv, 146
Illustrations - illustrations (some color)
License Grantor / Date Granted:
Walter Nickeson / 2018-10-11 16:21:38.732 ( View License )
Date Deposited
2018-10-11 16:21:38.732
Date Last Updated
2020-01-14 14:43:28.576
Submitter:
Walter Nickeson

Copyright © This item is protected by copyright, with all rights reserved.

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