Development - Piaget (1952) study

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

To demonstrate that children in the concrete operational stage are more likely to conserve than younger children.

Question 2

Design/method

Answer 2

Independent measures lab experiment

Question 3

Sample

Answer 3

Small sample of Swiss school children, including Piaget’s own children.
They ranged in age from 3 to 7+

Question 4

IV / DV

Answer 4

IV = age of child
DV = whether they could conserve or not (and whether they could explain their answer or not)

Question 5

Procedure

Answer 5

Children were tested individually.
They were first shown two identical parallel rows of counters, and asked if there were the same number of counters in each row.
Then, one row was spread out.
The child was asked again if there were the same number of counters in each row.

Question 6

Findings

Answer 6

1. Three to four year olds said the spread out row had more counters
2. Five to six year olds said there were the same number of counters, but couldn’t explain why
3. Seven year olds and older said there were the same number of counters and could explain the logic behind it

Question 7

Conclusion

Answer 7

Children in the concrete operational stage demonstrated conservation fully, and younger children could not

Question 8

Three criticisms

Answer 8

1. Low population validity - culture bias (and used his own children!)
2. Low ecological validity - lab experiment with an artificial task
3. Same question asked twice - order effects (maybe 3 and 4 year olds assumed their first answer was wrong, and changed it)