Developmental changes in children’s production of line drawings in global contexts: Evidence from Kisumu, Kenya
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Children growing up in environments with many drawing opportunities improve dramatically at producing recognizable drawings over the course of childhood. Does this same developmental trajectory hold for children growing up in environments with fewer drawing opportunities? We measured children’s ability to produce recognizable drawings in a context where children have relatively fewer drawing opportunities and experiences with visual media, specifically Kisumu, Kenya. By leveraging within-context variation in children’s drawing experience, we estimated the strength of the association between how often a child draws and how recognizable their drawings are. A preregistered sample of 120 4- to 9-year-olds drew 12 object categories in random order. Children produced more recognizable drawings with age, even after controlling for their tracing abilities. Moreover, younger children with more drawing experience produced more recognizable drawings, even after controlling for tracing ability and other home environment variables. These results suggest commonalities in drawing development across cultures and document the experience-dependence of drawing development in global contexts.
Source: PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints)
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7223210712