Samuel & Bryant

Question 0

What was the independent variable in the study?

Answer 0

Methodology used with each group of children / age

Question 1

What was the aim of the study?

Answer 1

To investigate whether the methodology used in Piaget’s conservation experiments was the reason why children in pre-operational stage were unable to conserve number, mass and volume

Question 2

What was the dependent variable in the study?

Answer 2

Whether or not children could conserve

Question 3

What was the design of the study?

Answer 3

Lab experiment, using independent subjects doing repeated measures

Question 4

Describe the sample of the study

Answer 4

• 4 groups of 63 children
• 5yrs 3mnths, 6yrs 3mnths, 7yrs 3mnths & 8yrs 3mnths
• each group further subdivided into 3 groups of 21

Question 5

What apparatus was used in the study?

Answer 5

• 2 balls of play dough of equal size
• 2 rows of counters
• 3 beakers of liquid (2 the same size, 1 taller & thinner)

Question 6

Describe the standard group in the study

Answer 6

• counters placed in two identical rows, q1 asked, counters in 2nd row spread out & q2 is asked

Question 7

Describe the one judgemental group on the study

Answer 7

• counters placed in identical rows, one row is then spread out and q1 is asked

Question 8

Describe the fixed away group in the study

Answer 8

• 1 of the 2 rows of counters already spread out, q1 then asked (child doesn’t witness transformation

Question 9

Give 4 results of the study

Answer 9

• children were more able to conserve in the one judgemental condition
• the older the child was, the more likely they were to conserve
• the numbers task produced the least errors
• the fixed array task produced the most errors

Question 10

How reliable was the study?

Answer 10

Fairly - standardised procedure, but artificial environment

Question 11

How valid was the experiment?

Answer 11

Very - high levels of control meant extraneous variable were eliminated

Question 12

What were the issues with the sample of the study?

Answer 12

• the sample was fairly limited and therefore difficult to generalise
• as all children were from Devon there was ethnocentric bias

Question 13

Was the data qualitative or quantitative?

Answer 13

Purely quantitative - counting the amount of errors

Question 14

Was the experiment ethically correct?

Answer 14

• Yes - parental consent was given

* No - may be stressful to have a q asked 12 times & children had no explicit right to withdraw

Question 15

How can the study be applied?

Answer 15

• used to set out curriculum

* stimulated further research