The purpose of this investigation was to develop an instructional method utilizing event perception to affect the graphic abilities of young children.Event perception has been described by E. J. Gibson as the detection of invariant properties over a temporalspatial sequence of stimulation. This involves attending to aspects of permanence in an object's size, shape, ratios, proportions or other distinguishing characteristics over continuous transformations in time and space. The detection of these invariant properties facilitates the constant identification of visual phenomena as well as unifying sequential information. The instructional strategy in this study employed event perception training as a means to aid children in their development of drawing skills.The sample was comprised of fifty-seven third grade students in three intact classes in a private New York City elementary school. One group received perceptual training in the detection of invariant properties of moving objects undergoing transformation in time and space; a second group received traditional drawing instruction in composition and drawing techniques, while the third group received no treatment and served as a control section. Students in all three groups were pre- and post-tested using the Frostig Developmental Test of Visual Perception (DTVP) and the Event Perception Drawing Test (EPDT). The DTVP consisted of five sub-tests designed to test and measure a specific type of perceptual ability. These abilities were operationally defined as: eye-hand coordination, figure ground perception, constancy of shape, position in space and spatial relationships.The EPDT was used to assess ability to perceive and draw invariant properties in visual information undergoing apparent transformation in time and space. The test task involved the sequenced illustration of a narrated event and was completed in five consecutive drawings. The pre and post-test drawings of the subjects in all three groups were subjected to a critique by three independent judges using a test scale designed for the study. The scale consisted of six criterion items associated with the perception of an event; size transformation, shape transformation, spatial transformation, kinetic occlusion, movement and causality.Data gathered during this investigation was subjected to analysis of covariance techniques and, when significant ratios were obtained, t-tests were conducted. The confidence level for testing the null hypotheses was set at an alpha of .05. Review of the data led to the following conclusions:(A) Subjects receiving drawing instruction which included the observation and recognition of physical invariants in moving, temporarily occluded objects achieved significantly higher drawing scores than subjects in the Traditional Drawing and Control Groups. The resulting data indicated that the treatment incorporating event perception training was more successful than drawing instruction in composition and materials.(B) Group performance on the Developmental Test of Visual Perception remained unchanged. The effect of the experimental treatments was inconclusive in this instance.While this investigation made no attempt to assess the aesthetic effects of event perception treatment, it does point out that data acquired through visual perceptual activity may serve as a resource for creative work. More research is required to examine the aesthetic effects of event perception training in general perceptual development. The findings suggest, however, that the inclusion of event perception tasks may stimulate perceptual inquiry, and can thereby aid children in developing the necessary drawing skills to represent changes occurring over time and space. The results of this study also seem to confirm that a source of visual information for art is dependent upon an observer's ability to engage in perceptual inquiry.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/179637 |
| Date | January 1976 |
| Creators | Piotrowski, Ronald James |
| Contributors | Dorethy, Rex E. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | iii, 123 leaves ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
Page generated in 0.0015 seconds