A number-line task with a Bayesian active learning algorithm provides insights into the development of non-symbolic number estimation

Abstract

To characterize numerical representations, the number-line task asks participants to estimate the location of a given number on a line flanked with zero and an upper-bound number. An open question is whether estimates for symbolic numbers (e.g., Arabic numerals) and non-symbolic numbers (e.g., number of dots) rely on common processes with a common developmental pathway. To address this question, we explored whether well-established findings in symbolic number-line estimation generalize to non-symbolic number-line estimation. For exhaustive investigations without sacrificing data quality, we applied a novel Bayesian active learning algorithm, dubbed Gaussian process active learning (GPAL), that adaptively optimizes experimental designs. The results showed that the non-symbolic number estimation in participants of diverse ages (5–73 years old, n = 238) exhibited three characteristic features of symbolic number estimation.