Numerical precision or inhibitory control? Exploring latent profiles in preschoolers' numerosity judgments

Abstract

Children show significant individual differences in their performance on non-symbolic numerosity comparison tasks. While some studies attribute this variability to differences in numerical precision, others highlight the importance of inhibitory control in filtering out irrelevant information. Rather than interpreting these findings as contradictory, the current study investigates whether distinct performance profiles underlie such variability. Specifically, it examines whether preschool children exhibit individual differences in their reliance on numerical versus non-numerical cues when comparing dot arrays. 256 preschoolers completed a dot comparison task. First, a confirmatory factor analysis was used to confirm the task's factor structure, corroborating a multidimensional model capturing both numerical precision and inhibitory control processes. As a novel approach, a Latent Profile Analysis was then applied to identify subgroups of children based on task performance. The results revealed three profiles: (1) children with good numerical precision and good inhibitory control who performed well across all trials (N = 119); (2) children with good numerical precision but poor inhibitory control who showed a strong congruency effect (N = 40); and (3) children with low numerical precision who performed poorly in all conditions (N = 97). These findings integrate previous conflicting results on the cause of individual variability by showing that performance differences may reflect differences in numerical precision in one group of children, and in inhibitory control in another group, indicating distinct cognitive profiles. This study enhances understanding of individual differences in numerosity perception and helps identify specific challenges children may be encountering.