Humans quickly identify small numbers but struggle with larger ones. Recent research reveals the brain has distinct mechanisms for processing small versus large quantities. The brain waveforms show when neurons are firing. Credit: Christian Burkert/Volkswagen-Stiftung/University of Bonn
There seem to be two distinctive ways in which we as humans tend to process numbers of things: We are usually able to detect small numbers of things very quickly and correctly. This is also described as “subitizing” in research circles. However, this method changes suddenly when there are five elements or more: We need more and more time to answer and our answers become increasingly imprecise.
The study participants saw a set of dotson the screen in front of them for half a second. After a short pause they had to indicate whether the number had been even or odd. If the number of dots was less than five, they usually gave the correct answer without hesitation. Above that, both response time and error rate steadily increased. Credit: AG Mormann/University of Bonn
Seventeen patients participated in the latest study. In preparation for their operations, microelectrodes as fine as a human hair were inserted into the temporal lobe. “We were able to use them to measure the reaction of individual nerve cells to visual stimuli,” explains Esther Kutter, who carried out a large proportion of the experiments for her doctorate in the research group headed by Prof. Mormann.
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