A Cross-Cultural Developmental Study of Directional Asymmetries in Circle Drawing

Abstract

Results have indicated a decreasing tendency to draw circles in a clockwise direction and an increasing tendency to draw them in a counterclockwise fashion with increases in grade. Blau labeled the developmentally less advanced, clockwise circle drawing as "torque" and further proposed that torque was related to psychological difficulties. The present study compared the direction of circle drawing for American students, Japanese living in Japan, and Japanese living in America. Results showed that with advancing grade, Americans increasingly drew in a counterclockwise direction, whereas the Japanese increasingly drew in a clockwise direction. Also, Japanese living in America showed a less pronounced tendency to draw clockwise circles across grades than Japanese living in Japan. The results suggest that circle drawing movements are a function of culture and education in learning how to write.