03.09.2025

Number or text – which one do we understand first?

LEAD member Dr. Gabriella Daroczy researches how we process numbers and text in maths problems.

_{By John Böhmer}

Numbers or text – are they processed in math word problems one after the other, or at the same time? This question investigated a research team led by LEAD member Dr. Gabriella Daroczy. In their study, which was published in Psychological Research, the authors used eye-tracking to examine whether the human brain processes numbers only after reading the text in full, or whether both are processed in parallel.

Previous assumptions often suggested a clear sequence: first reading, then calculating. However, the study’s findings show that text and number processing influence each other. In addition to traditional behavioral data, the team analyzed eye movements, fixations, and transitions between text and numbers. In both solvable and unsolvable word problems, people start processing numbers already while reading, even when the problem is numerically demanding. The findings suggest that understanding mathematical word problems does not occur in a clearly separated sequence of steps. Instead, linguistic and numerical processing are closely intertwined.

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