Background: Piaget’s research into conservation abilities
Theories:
Aim:
Research method: lab
Experimental Design:
IV:
Sampling Technique:
Sample:
Standard, 2-Q Condition: The child was firstly shown two equal and identical Playdoh cylinders. They were then asked if there was the same or amount/ size/ mass of Playdoh in each cylinder. Then, in front of the child one of the cylinders was squashed into either a sausage or a pancake shape. The child was then asked again if there was the same amount of Playdoh in each shape.
Purpose of:
Results: --> Results by mean number of errors
Age Standard One - question Fixed array
5-year-olds 8.5 7.3 8.5
6-year-olds 5.7 4.3 6.4
7-year-olds 3.2 2.5 4.8
8-year-olds 1.6 1.3 3.3
Conclusions:
Evaluation:
Research Method:
Sample:
+ = Because children of various ages were used, researchers were able to note how conservation skills develop with age.
Reliability:
Validity:
Usefulness:
Ethical Issues:
Improvements & Implications:
Theories:
Aim:
Research method: lab
Experimental Design:
IV:
- age of the child (5,6,7,8)
- experimental conditional (standard, one question, fixed array)
- material used (counters, play dough, liquid)
Sampling Technique:
Sample:
- 252 boys and girls
- aged between 5 and 8½
- from primary schools in Devon
Standard, 2-Q Condition: The child was firstly shown two equal and identical Playdoh cylinders. They were then asked if there was the same or amount/ size/ mass of Playdoh in each cylinder. Then, in front of the child one of the cylinders was squashed into either a sausage or a pancake shape. The child was then asked again if there was the same amount of Playdoh in each shape.
Purpose of:
- One - question:
- To show that children who fail the traditional conservation task do not always fail because they cannot conserve. They fail because the repetition of the question makes them think they should give a different answer the second time.
- To show Piaget’s methodology of asking the same question twice was flawed.
Results: --> Results by mean number of errors
Age Standard One - question Fixed array
5-year-olds 8.5 7.3 8.5
6-year-olds 5.7 4.3 6.4
7-year-olds 3.2 2.5 4.8
8-year-olds 1.6 1.3 3.3
Conclusions:
- The ability to conserve increases with age: less errors were made by children aged 8 in all three conditions compared to children aged 5.
- Children are more able to show their ability to conserve when they are not asked the same question twice: children of all ages made fewer errors in the one question condition than in the two question condition.
- Children of all ages have difficulty conserving (mass, number & volume) if they do not witness a transformation: the fixed array condition produced the highest number of errors in all age groups.
Evaluation:
Research Method:
Sample:
+ = Because children of various ages were used, researchers were able to note how conservation skills develop with age.
Reliability:
Validity:
Usefulness:
Ethical Issues:
Improvements & Implications: