Drawing on memory: A meta-analytic review

Abstract

Drawing is commonly used to facilitate event recall in eyewitness and therapeutic settings. Building on Derksen and Connolly’s (2022) review, we meta-analytically examined how drawing affects memory relative to purely verbal methods of communication (e.g. ‘talk only’ interviews). Database searches identified 36 randomised controlled trials of the effect of drawing-based interventions on event memory (N = 2013). Our memory outcome measures were amount and accuracy of information reported, errors and confabulations. Random-effects analysis indicated drawing was favoured relative to verbal controls across these four outcomes. Drawing enhanced the amount (g = 0.63, p