| Young children do not typically represent in their drawings the occlusion of a farther object by a near one. According to previous studies, they frequently depict the two objects side by side, one above the other, or one transparently overlapping the other. Reasons for doing so are usually explained as either a difficulty in production or as an artifact of actual instruction. Focusing on the cognitive aspects of children's drawings, this study attempts to investigate the effects of a hiding game, the characteristics of stimuli, and cultural differences on the production of partial occlusion drawings in young children. Forty-eight American and 48 Chinese children, divided into three age groups of 4-, 5- and 6-year-olds, participated in this study. A "robber and policeman" format is adopted. In a hiding game condition, the experimental group is instructed that a robber hides behind an object. The control group is instructed without the idea of hiding (a man is behind an object). Four different pairs of stimuli, each representing a particular combination of objects in terms of size and shape, are presented to the subjects. The results show that 69% of 4-year-olds and 94% of 6-year-olds produce partial occlusion drawings in the robber/man-behind-wall condition. Even though an age shift in the production of partial occlusion drawings is demonstrated, the hiding game is ineffective. An examination of the effects of stimuli indicates that the differences between the nearer and farther objects in terms of shape and size have significant effects. Particularly, when the nearer object is smaller than the farther one, the drawing task becomes more difficult for the children. A significant difference is also shown between the two culture groups in the drawing task. Using the nearest-first rule and using erasers for correction are discussed as possible explanations for the performance differences in the drawing tasks. Implications of these findings are discussed in terms of the content and context of each task. |
