Ratio effect slope can sometimes be an appropriate metric of the approximate number system sensitivity

Abstract

The approximate number system (ANS) is believed to be an essential component of numerical understanding. The sensitivity of the ANS has been found to be correlating with various mathematical abilities. Recently, Chesney (2018, Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 80[5], 1057–1063) demonstrated that if the ANS sensitivity is measured with the ratio effect slope, the slope may measure the sensitivity imprecisely. The present work extends her findings by demonstrating that mathematically the usability of the ratio effect slope depends on the Weber fraction range of the sample and the ratios of the numbers in the used test. Various indexes presented here can specify whether the use of the ratio effect slope as a replacement for the sigmoid fit is recommended or not. Detailed recommendations and a publicly available script help the researchers to plan or evaluate the use of the ratio effect slope as an ANS sensitivity index.