ArticleScientific reports2026
Early neurophysiological signatures of multi-digit number length encoding.
Article in Scientific reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Breaking numbers apart: The role of digit separators in magnitude perception.Psychonomic bulletin & review · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The Arabic number system links number length with magnitude: longer numbers represent larger values. In numerical comparisons, interference arises when physical and numerical dimensions are misaligned, and processing improves with greater numerical distance. While ERP studies have dissociated numerical processing effects, evidence for early encoding of numerical information has been limited due to confounding visual properties. In two ERP experiments, we examined whether number length influences early multi-digit number processing, independent of visual size, by using scribbled line patterns to control physical length. Experiment 1 (N = 27) compared digit values in tie numbers (numbers with repeated digits) to standard "555", ignoring number length. Experiment 2 (N = 27) judged number length, ignoring digit identity. Targets varied in number length and numerical distance, creating congruent and incongruent conditions. ERP results revealed enhanced parieto-occipital N1 negativity (~ 120-150 ms) for longer numbers, indicating early number length encoding independent of overall visual size. Central P2p (~ 150-190 ms) reflected refined numerical distance processing. Centro-parietal P3 (~ 300-360 ms) showed congruity effects only when numerical magnitude was task-relevant. These findings reveal three distinct processing stages: early encoding (N1), refined magnitude comparison (P2p), and conflict resolution (P3). This novel neurophysiological evidence showcases the unique influence of number length and numerical syntax on magnitude evaluation.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.