Development of Quantitative Thinking Across Correlated Dimensions

Abstract This chapter provides an overview of research related to the proposal that human quantification originates in a generalized magnitude system. We review research related to both looking time methods and visual perception to determine what stimulus dimensions might be included in such a system. Then we relate this literature to the research on quantification in infancy and early childhood. We consider various mechanisms by which a generalized magnitude system might become differentiated into separate quantitative dimensions, such as perceptual redundancy, emergence of object concepts, and the possible effects of language, including object names and counting. Finally, we identify mechanisms by which these dimensions become coordinated into a coherent quantitative system, focusing primarily on the impact of unitizing and spatial scaling, and their relation to several challenges in mathematical development, including measurement, proportional reasoning, and understanding fractions.

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