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Press Release 06-032
And Baby Counts Three...
Infants appear to understand numbers even before they can talk
February 15, 2006
In a study that could shed light on how infants first grasp the concept of number--as well as the evolutionary origins of that ability--researchers have found evidence that babies have an abstract numerical sense even before they learn to talk.
Duke University scientists Kerry Jordan and Elizabeth Brannon published their findings the week of Feb. 13-17, 2006, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The research was sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Science Foundation and the John Merck Fund.
Jordan and Brannon presented seven-month-old infants with the voices of two or three women saying, "Look." At the same time, they showed the babies two video images: one with two women saying the word and the other with three women doing so. The researchers found that the babies spent significantly more time looking at the video image that matched the number of women talking. From that, the researchers concluded that the infants were transferring their perception of number across two different senses, sight and sound--which suggested, in turn, that babies have a truly abstract sense of numerical concepts.
In earlier work, Jordan and Brannon performed similar tests on monkeys, which also seem to exhibit numerical perception across senses.
"As a result of our experiments, we conclude that the babies are showing an internal representation of 'two-ness' or 'three-ness' that is separate from sensory modalities and, thus, reflects an abstract internal process," said Brannon. "These results support the idea that there is a shared system between preverbal infants and nonverbal animals for representing numbers."
-NSF-
Media Contacts
M. Mitchell Waldrop, NSF (703) 292-7752 mwaldrop@nsf.gov
Dennis Meredith, Duke University 919) 681-8054 dennis.meredith@duke.edu
Principal Investigators
Elizabeth M. Brannon, Duke University (919) 668-6201 brannon@duke.edu
Related Websites
Duke University news release: http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/2006/02/brannonjordanpnas.html
Duke University news release on number concepts in monkeys: http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/2005/06/BrannonCurrBio.html
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2009, its budget is $9.5 billion, which includes $3.0 billion provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to over 1,900 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 44,400 competitive requests for funding, and makes over 11,500 new funding awards. NSF also awards over $400 million in professional and service contracts yearly.
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