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The influence of the place-value structure of the Arabic number ...

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Fur<strong>the</strong>rmore, converging evidence is provided that <strong>the</strong> latter exhibits a task invariant <strong>influence</strong><br />

on human numerical cognition and its development. Evidence on such a general validity <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>place</strong>-<strong>value</strong> <strong>influence</strong>s comes from studies indicating (i) that <strong>the</strong> mental <strong>number</strong> line is not<br />

analogue holistic in nature but involves <strong>place</strong>-<strong>value</strong> information (cf. Studies 1, 5, and 6), (ii)<br />

that indicators <strong>of</strong> decomposed processing <strong>of</strong> two-digit <strong>number</strong>s were observed from new basic<br />

numerical as well as basic arithmetical tasks [i.e., <strong>number</strong> line estimation (cf. Study 3) and<br />

addition (cf. Study 2), respectively], (iii) that decomposed processing seems to develop<br />

culture invariant but is never<strong>the</strong>less <strong>influence</strong>d by attributes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> respective language’s<br />

<strong>number</strong> word system (cf. Study 4), (iv) that models implying decomposed processing<br />

outperformed models <strong>of</strong> holistic processing in direct comparisons (cf. Studies 3 and 7), and<br />

(v) that specific neural correlates <strong>of</strong> processing <strong>place</strong>-<strong>value</strong> information can be identified.<br />

Hence, <strong>the</strong> results <strong>of</strong> this <strong>the</strong>sis can be summarized as suggesting decomposed processing <strong>of</strong><br />

multi-digit <strong>number</strong>s along <strong>place</strong>-<strong>value</strong> constraints to be a comprehensive, culture invariant,<br />

and developmentally important processing characteristic <strong>of</strong> human numerical cognition.<br />

Apart from this integrative view on <strong>the</strong> implications <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> current <strong>the</strong>sis going beyond<br />

<strong>the</strong> scope <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> individual studies, <strong>the</strong> results <strong>of</strong> each individual study are never<strong>the</strong>less<br />

important on its own. <strong>The</strong>refore, <strong>the</strong> following paragraphs address <strong>the</strong>se results in a less<br />

integrative manner, instead focussing on <strong>the</strong> scientific contribution <strong>of</strong> each study on a more<br />

individual level.<br />

EVALUATION AND DISCUSSION<br />

In <strong>the</strong> following section, <strong>the</strong> results <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> previously presented studies will be<br />

discussed in respect to two major topics: First, it will be evaluated in what way behavioural,<br />

neuropsychological and computational evidence provided by <strong>the</strong> individual studies<br />

corroborated <strong>the</strong> understanding <strong>of</strong> how <strong>the</strong> <strong>place</strong>-<strong>value</strong> <strong>structure</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Arabic</strong> <strong>number</strong> system<br />

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