Pressure, velocity, and time in speeded drawing of basic graphic patterns by young children

Bender Gestalt cards of Pascal and Suttel, simplified by the author, and basic graphic patterns used in neuropsychological assessment by Mai and Marquardt were used in a speeded copying task. Children between 4 and 6 years were drawing with a wireless pen on a pressure-sensitive graphic tablet linked to a computer. Hand pressure, velocity of hand movements, drawing time and penlifts were measured by a CS handwriting analyses software package. Planned comparisons were carried out between developmentally earlier emerging graphic forms and patterns that are mastered later in development. It was shown that for 6-yr.-olds pressure was increased which might indicate a generally higher tension when drawing. Specifically, angular forms were copied with more pressure, but needed less drawing time than round forms. Moreover, children needed more time for penlifts to adjust for a starting point that changed from left to right when drawing vertical lines than horizontal ones. Reduced speed of drawing was more important when copying open forms than closed shapes. In denotation of spatial position no differences were found. It is concluded that the analysis of psychophysical measures of drawing gives important clues about the specific problems produced by relatively basic graphic patterns.