yuyanfei31.bsky.social @yuyanfei31.bsky.social · 13/03/2026In short: Integrating zero into the number system takes more than mapping it to quantities. It may require additional conceptual change. Our findings are consistent with stage theories. 010 1
yuyanfei31.bsky.social @yuyanfei31.bsky.social · 13/03/2026Despite learning these meanings, children did not improve at comparing “zero” with other numbers (e.g., knowing that two is more than zero). 000 0
yuyanfei31.bsky.social @yuyanfei31.bsky.social · 13/03/2026In our study, preschoolers (3–5 years) quickly learned to map “zero” to an empty plate, often in fewer than 10 trials. But learning that “zero” refers to a null quantity of a specific kind (e.g., zero bananas) required additional training. 010 1
yuyanfei31.bsky.social @yuyanfei31.bsky.social · 13/03/2026Children’s understanding of the number word “zero” typically lags behind positive numbers. Stage theories propose that children first interpret “zero” as “nothing,” and only later understand its numerical meaning and relation to other numbers. 010 1
yuyanfei31.bsky.social @yuyanfei31.bsky.social · 13/03/2026🎉Our paper was just accepted in Cognition!🎉 Title: Training “Zero” in Preschoolers: Fast Referential Learning, Slow Relational Integration Authors: Yanfei Yu, Marianna Thorne, David Barner @cognitionjournal.bsky.social @drbarner.bsky.social 4143 14
