The Symbol-Grounding Problem in Numerical Cognition: A Review of Theory, Evidence, and Outstanding Questions
The Symbol-Grounding Problem in Numerical Cognition: A Review of Theory, Evidence, and Outstanding Questions
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DOI：
10.1037/cep0000070
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发表时间：
2016-03-01
影响因子：
1.3
通讯作者：
Ansari, Daniel
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Leibovich, Tali;Ansari, Daniel
数字符号，如数字词，是如何获得语义的？这个问题，也被称为“符号基础问题”，是数值认知领域的一个核心问题。目前的理论认为，符号通过映射到数字的非符号表示的近似系统（近似数字系统或ANS）来获得其意义。在目前的文献综述中，我们首先询问当前的行为和神经成像数据在多大程度上支持这一理论，其次，在多大程度上，假设符号数字的基础上的ANS本质上是数字的。我们得出的结论是：(a)目前检验了ANS和数字符号之间关联的证据并不支持数字符号以ANS为基础的概念；(b)考虑到非符号数字处理任务中数字量和连续变量之间的强相关性，几乎不可能测量符号和非符号数字量之间的纯粹关联。相反，很明显，在非符号数字处理过程中，需要大量的认知控制资源来消除数字与连续变量的歧义。因此，如果ANS和符号数之间存在任何映射，那么这种关联过程一定是由认知控制介导的。综上所述，我们认为研究认知控制和连续变量在数量比较任务中的作用将为符号基础问题提供一个更完整的图景。
How do numerical symbols, such as number words, acquire semantic meaning? This question, also referred to as the "symbol-grounding problem," is a central problem in the field of numerical cognition. Present theories suggest that symbols acquire their meaning by being mapped onto an approximate system for the nonsymbolic representation of number (Approximate Number System or ANS). In the present literature review, we first asked to which extent current behavioural and neuroimaging data support this theory, and second, to which extent the ANS, upon which symbolic numbers are assumed to be grounded, is numerical in nature. We conclude that (a) current evidence that has examined the association between the ANS and number symbols does not support the notion that number symbols are grounded in the ANS and (b) given the strong correlation between numerosity and continuous variables in nonsymbolic number processing tasks, it is next to impossible to measure the pure association between symbolic and nonsymbolic numerosity. Instead, it is clear that significant cognitive control resources are required to disambiguate numerical from continuous variables during nonsymbolic number processing. Thus, if there exists any mapping between the ANS and symbolic number, then this process of association must be mediated by cognitive control. Taken together, we suggest that studying the role of both cognitive control and continuous variables in numerosity comparison tasks will provide a more complete picture of the symbol-grounding problem.