The sense of taste as a non-visual stimulus for the artistic expression of preschool-aged children

Cilj istraživanja je bio uvidjeti jesu li djeca sposobna likovno se izraziti na osnovu nevizualnog poticaja okusa, te hoće li se djeca nakon što probaju okuse lakše likovno izražavati u odnosu na likovno izražavanje prije probanja okusa. U istraživanju je također promatrano koriste li djeca slične boje za iste okuse, te da li se izražavaju apstraktno bojom ili se oslanjaju na hranu koja je karakteristična za osnovne okuse. Istraživanje je provedeno u dječjem vrtiću „Zvončić“ Ozalj, u predškolskoj odgojnoj skupini. Za potrebe ovog istraživanja, djeca su u dva termina s razmakom od desetak dana flomasterima crtala kako oni doživljavaju slatko, slano, gorko i kiselo. Prvog puta je bilo 28-mero djece i tada su crtali bez da su prethodno probali okuse. Drugi puta je sudjelovalo 14-tero djece i tada su nakon uvodnog razgovora probali okuse u obliku tekućine, a zatim crtali. Dječji radovi su prikupljeni i analizirani. Analizom je zaključeno da su djeca koristila slične boje za iste okuse. Djeca su se izražavala pomoću karakterisitčne hrane za pojedine okuse. Djeca su se lakše izražavala nakon što su probali okuse.The purpose of this research was to see if it will be easier for children to express themselves artistically after trying certain tastes compared to drawing before trying them. During research attention was also payed onto seeing if children will use the same colors for the same tastes and if they will express themselves abstractly or they will rely on food characteristic for certain tastes. The research was conducted in the kindergarten “Zvončić” in Ozalj with the preschool group. For the purpose of this research, in two sessions with a ten day gap, children were using coloring pens to express sweet, salty, bitter and sour taste. At the first session there was 28 children and they were drawing without previously tasting anything. At the second session there was 14 children and they tried various tastes in the liquid form. Their drawings were collected and analyzed . Analysis revealed that children used similar colors for the same tastes. They also focused on drawing characteristic food and much less expressing themselves abstractly. It was easier for children to express themselves after tasting