Dr Chia-Yuan Lin, Postdoctoral Research Assistant in the Department of English Language & Linguistics has been awarded a Summer Vacation Research prize by the University’s Unit for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching for a project titled ‘Arabic digits and spoken number words: Timing modulates cross-modal numerical distance effect’.

This project aims to systematically investigate the correspondence between auditory number words and visual Arabic digits in adults. Auditory number words and visual Arabic digits will be presented concurrently or sequentially with a blocked design and participants have to indicate whether two numerals describe the same quantity. It is expected that the temporal relation between multi-sensory numerical inputs will modulate the cross-modal numerical distance effect. The relationship between individual mathematical performance and the timing modulation effect will be also examined.

This project aims to investigate temporal dynamics of a cross-modal number matching task, using these two most common numerical symbols. In addition, examining the relationship between audiovisual correspondence and individual mathematical performance may shed light on mathematics education issues.