title: Cultural influence on directional tendencies in children's drawing.
abstract: The present study was aimed at investigating how print experience as a cultural factor influences directional tendencies in children's drawing in the interplay with biomechanical (hand), syntactic (shape orientation) and semantic (shape meaning) factors. Eighty-eight right-handed children from three literacy/age groups (preliterate, first graders and third graders) had to copy a geometrical shape adapted from the Rey-Osterrieth complex figure. The shape was presented alternatively leftward and rightward, while using both dominant (right) and non-dominant (left) hands. Directional tendencies were assessed regarding directionality of drawing movements at global, intermediate and local levels and deviation error in centre line bisection. Results show a global improvement of drawing quality and strategies across groups and an advantage for the dominant right hand from 6 years onward. Regarding directional tendencies, a reinforcement of a congruency effect between conditions and writing direction was found from preliterates to third graders. These results are discussed as a cultural embodiment process and have implications for psychological testing.
authors.affiliation: a Laboratoire de Psychologie EA 4139, Université de Bordeaux , Bordeaux , France.
authors.forename: Marine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Portex
authors.affiliation: a Laboratoire de Psychologie EA 4139, Université de Bordeaux , Bordeaux , France.
authors.forename: Jean-Noël
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Foulin
authors.affiliation: b Centre de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Langues, Lettres, Arts et Sciences Humaines EA 4095 , Université des Antilles et de la Guyane , Schoelcher , France.
authors.forename: Bertrand
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Troadec
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006225:Hand; D006801:Humans; D000067010:Literacy; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills; D011581:Psychological Tests; D014796:Visual Perception
keywords: Drawing development; asymmetry of space perception; cultural embodiment; drawing directionality; print experience