Preschool Drawing and School Mathematics: The Nature of the Association. Issue 3 (15th April 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Malanchini, Margherita; Tosto, Maria G.; Garfield, Victoria; Dirik, Aysegul; Czerwik, Adrian; Arden, Rosalind; Malykh, Sergey; Kovas, Yulia
• Is Part Of: Child development. Volume 87:Issue 3(2016:May/Jun.)
• Page Start: 929
• Page End: 943
• Publication Date: 2016-04-15
• Subjects: Child development -- Periodicals; Child psychology -- Periodicals; Child Development -- Periodicals; Child Development; Pediatrics -- Periodicals; Pedicatrics; 305.231
• DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12520
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0009-3920

Abstract

Abstract : The study examined the etiology of individual differences in early drawing and of its longitudinal association with school mathematics. Participants ( N = 14, 760), members of the Twins Early Development Study, were assessed on their ability to draw a human figure, including number of features, symmetry, and proportionality. Human figure drawing was moderately stable across 6 months (average r = .40). Individual differences in drawing at age 4½ were influenced by genetic (.21), shared environmental (.30), and nonshared environmental (.49) factors. Drawing was related to later (age 12) mathematical ability (average r = .24). This association was explained by genetic and shared environmental factors that also influenced general intelligence. Some genetic factors, unrelated to intelligence, also contributed to individual differences in drawing.