Samuel and Bryant - Conservation

Question 1

How many children participants were used in Samuel & Bryant’s study?

Answer 1

• 252

Question 2

How many groups were these children split into and what were their age ranges?

Answer 2

• 4 groups of 63 of different ages (5 and a half years, 6 and a half, 7 and a half & 8 and a half).
• These were then split into 3 further groups of 21 who each did one of the conditions (standard, one question, fixed array).

Question 3

What was the aim of Samuel & Bryant - Conservation?

Answer 3

• To test whether Piaget’s methodology in his conservation experiments was flawed.
• Believed the order of two questions led children to believe they were wrong the first time.

Question 4

What method and design was used in Samuel & Bryant’s study?

Answer 4

• A laboratory experiment wth an independent measures design.

Question 5

How many and which order of materials did each child use in Samuel & Bryant’s study and what were they?

Answer 5

• Each child used all 3 materials in a counterbalanced order 4 times each.
• Materials were volume (liquid), mass (PlayDoh) and numbers (counters).

Question 6

What were the independent variables of Samuel & Bryant’s study?

Answer 6

• Age of the child.
• The way the task was carried out (one judgement, standard, fixed array).
• The material used.

Question 7

What was the dependent variable of Samuel & Bryant’s study?

Answer 7

• Whether they gave the correct answer or not.

Question 8

How was the standard question test carried out in Samuel & Bryant’s study?

Answer 8

• Child shown two objects.
• Asked which was larger/had more volume/more of
• Then witnesses the transformation.
• Child asked again.

Question 9

How was the one judgement test carried out in Samuel & Bryant’s study?

Answer 9

• Child shown objects
• Then witnesses the transformation.
• Asked which was larger/had more volume/more of.

Question 10

How was the fixed array question test carried out in Samuel & Bryant’s study?

Answer 10

• Child shown objects which have already been transformed.
• Doesn’t witness the transformation.
• Asked which was larger/had more volume/more of.

Question 11

How were the results recorded in Samuel & Bryant’s study?

Answer 11

• Was presented as the mean number of errors per age group and per condition.

Question 12

What school were the 252 children taken from?

Answer 12

• Crediton, Devon (UK).

Question 13

What were two controls in Samuel & Bryant’s study?

Answer 13

• The fixed array condition - to check whether the task was too hard rather than the repetition of a question confusing.
• Children were given 12 separate trials, with 4 each for each material.