Mapping numbers onto space is a common cognitive representation that has been explored in both behavioral and neuroimaging contexts. Empirical work probing the diverse nature of these spatial-numerical associations (SNAs) has led researchers to question 1) how the human brain links numbers with space, and 2) whether this link is biologically vs. culturally determined. We review the existing literature on the development of SNAs and situate that empirical work within cognitive and neuroscientific theoretical frameworks. We propose that an evolutionarily-ancient frontal-parietal circuit broadly tuned to multiple magnitude dimensions provides the phylogenetic substrate for SNAs, while enculturation and sensorimotor experience shape their specific profiles. We then use this perspective to discuss educational implications and highlight promising avenues for future research.

将数字映射到空间是一种常见的认知表示形式，已在行为和神经成像环境中进行了探索。探究这些空间数字关联（SNA）的多样性的实证研究使研究人员提出以下问题：1）人脑如何将数字与空间联系起来； 2）这种联系是否是生物学确定的还是文化确定的。我们回顾了有关SNA发展的现有文献，并在认知和神经科学理论框架内进行了实证研究。我们建议广泛地调整到多个大小的维度的进化-古代额顶电路提供了SNA的系统发育底物，而培养和感觉运动的经验塑造了它们的特定轮廓。