The drawing effect: Evidence for reliable and robust memory benefits in free recall

Abstract

In 7 free-recall experiments, the benefit of creating drawings of to-be-remembered information relative to writing was examined as a mnemonic strategy. In Experiments 1 and 2, participants were presented with a list of words and were asked to either draw or write out each. Drawn words were better recalled than written. Experiments 3–5 showed that the memory boost provided by drawing could not be explained by elaborative encoding (deep level of processing, LoP), visual imagery, or picture superiority, respectively. In Experiment 6, we explored potential limitations of the drawing effect, by reducing encoding time and increasing list length. Drawing, relative to writing, still benefited memory despite these constraints. In Experiment 7, the drawing effect was significant even when encoding trial types were compared in pure lists between participants, inconsistent with a distinctiveness account. Together these experiments indicate that drawing enhances memory relative to writing, across settings, instructions, and alternate encoding strategies, both within- and between-participants, and that a deep LoP, visual imagery, or picture superiority, alone or collectively, are not sufficient to explain the observed effect. We propose that drawing improves memory by encouraging a seamless integration of semantic, visual, and motor aspects of a memory trace.

Keywords:

• Subject-performed tasks
• Memory
• Drawing
• Imagery
• Levels of processing

Notes

1 The analysis detailed in Erlebacher (1977) requires that sample sizes in all three groups be equal. Our within-subjects design had 28 participants, and the between-subjects groups had 23 and 24 participants, respectively. In order to complete the analysis, 23 participants were randomly selected from the larger groups, and the analysis was conducted on this truncated data set.