Piaget

Piaget

1. Study

   • Aim
     • To investigate whether children in the pre operational stage can conserve.
   • Procedure
     • A cross sectional study
     • Natural experiment
     • Swiss children
     • Shown two identical and parallel lines one at a time
       • Children were then asked which one of the two rows were longer/ had more counters.
     • Researcher then stretched the lines out
   • Results
     • Children in pre-op stage said the stretched row had more counters
     • A few children said they were the same but couldn't say why
     • Mostly were not able to conserve
     • Children in concrete operational said rows had the same number of counters
   • Conclusion
     • Piaget concluded that children cannot conserve in the pre op stage
     • Cog. development
   • Criticisms
     • Criticised for how he questioned the children = child is only asked if their answer is wrong = Experiment was repeated again, asked one question, children got it right.
     • Task was artificial = Task did not have any meaning for children = naughty teddy was used, 60% of pre-op children got it right as it was more child friendly
     • Piaget used a small sample = unrepresentative = culture bias, different countries have different education = people from UK could have reacted differently.

2. Theory

   • All children go through stages at a fixed age
   • A schema is a mental representation/thought/expectation/idea based on our experiences.
   • Schemas assist in our cognitive development
   • Assimilation is where an existing schema is used to deal with a new object or situation.
     • Accomodation is when an existing schema does not fit and therefore needs to be changed to fit in with new information
   • 4 stages
     • Sensori motor = 0-2 years, motor co ordination.
       • Body schemas
       • Object permenance
     • Pre operational = 2-7 years, animism.
       • Lack reversibility
       • Egocentrism
     • Concrete operational = 7-11 years,
       • Decentration
       • Seriation
       • Conservation (IMPORTANT)
     • Formal operation = 11+ years, abstract thinking.
       • Hypothetical thinking
       • Problem solving
   • Criticisms
     • Reductionist = Viewed children as independent/scientists before they go into stages = Vygotsky recognised that to learn you need scaffolding from another
       • No guarantee that all people develop through stages = Researchers argue that only 50% of adults make it to the formal stage.
       • Cognitive stages are not fixed = Some children flick into different stages depending on circumstances = egocentrically thinking and at other times having grand ideas of right and wrong.

3. Application

   • Pre natal stage
   • Childhood
   • Adolescence
   • Adulthood
   • IQ test