Developmental perception and cognitive styles: from young children to master artists.
The perceptual skills and cognitive styles of 30 master artists are compared to those of non-artist groups of different ages, beginning with 84 kindergarten children, and including an adult comparison group of 32. Criteria for master artists were first, handcrafted productions; second, major economic support derived from their art; third, shows in museums or good galleries; and fourth, positive peer evaluation. The test battery contained one intelligence test, two vision tests, three perceptual-discrimination measures, and five perceptual-cognitive style measures. Results show artists are significantly more flexible, accurate, variable, and field independent than all other groups. Artists, non-artist adults, and young children (60 high school sophomores, 60 children in Grade 5, 84 kindergarteners) each have differing cognitive styles. The relationship between cognitive style and artists' and non-artists' instrumental competency is discussed. Last, the extensive differences between artists' and children's performances are discussed in terms of developmental theory.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging; D001154:Art; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition; D003118:Color Perception; D003405:Creativity; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D005260:Female; D005364:Field Dependence-Independence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014796:Visual Perception