Automatic Number Processing is Both Memory-Based and Algorithm-Based

Memory-based versus algorithm-based processing While the automatic processing of numbers is widely accepted, the underlying mechanisms are still under discussion. The memory-based view states that automatic processing involves the retrieval of a single piece of information from memory (Logan, 1988). On the other hand, the algorithm-based view states that unconscious algorithms can be automatically executed (e.g. in a number comparison experiment; Dehaene et al., 1998). In a series of three experiments, it is shown that each view separately is insufficient to explain the obtained data pattern. We suggest that automatic number processing involves both memorybased and algorithm-based components.