Project #2 ~ Piagetian Conservation Tasks

Objectives:

1. To introduce students Piagetian methodology (interview)

2. To introduce students to the concept of conservation, and the accompanying theory surrounding concrete operational thought.

3. To analyze and interpret the data collected.

4. To write an APA-style paper based on the research

5. To collaborate with peers throughout the research process.

Task:

For this project you will work in pairs or small groups (of up to five students). You will need to interview at least 6 children total (at least two per student); half of the children interviewed should be aged 4- to 5-years, and half should be aged 7- to 8- years (so, if each student in the group is interviewing 2 children, one should be from each of the age ranges). The interviews should take about 20 minutes each. You should record your questions and each child’s responses verbatim and attach these to your written report.

Preparation:

Decide where you will conduct your observation.

Materials Needed:

Play-doh or modeling clay

10 pennies

2 identical (clear) plastic cups and one that is either tall and thin or short and fat

Container with water or other liquid

if you want to make your own play-doh, the following website has several good recipes:

http://www.recipesource.com/misc/kids/indexall.html

You will conduct each of the following 3 tasks with each child. To do these tasks, you will need to find a desk or table away from other children.

Task 1: Conservation of Number

After establishing some rapport with the child, bring out the 10 pennies and line them up into 2 vertical rows of 5 pennies each, in front of the child. The pennies in the rows should be equally spaced so that each row is identical. Then begin the interview:

Experimenter: “See these pennies? I have two rows. Tell me, are there more pennies in this row [point to one row], more pennies in this row [point to other row], or are there the same numbers in each row?

[The child needs to agree that there are the SAME numbers of pennies in each row. Encourage the child to count each row to make sure]

Experimenter: “Now watch what I’m going to do.”

[In one of the rows, move the pennies so they are farther apart so that the row is longer]

Experimenter: “Now, are there the same numbers of pennies in each row?”

As the child responds ask him/her to justify their answer, e.g. “why does that one have more” or “why are they the same?” Based on the child’s response, determine (and record) whether the child is displaying conservation (Yes, No, In transition).

Task 2: Conservation of Number

Put the pennies away and take out the cups and the container with liquid. Set the two identical glasses in front of the child. Pour an equal amount of liquid into each of the glasses. Then begin the interview.

Experimenter: “See these two glasses? Tell me, is their more water (or whatever liquid you used) in this glass [point to one glass] more in this glass [point to the other glass], or is there the same amount of water in each glass?

[The child needs to agree that there is the SAME amount in each glass to move on. If they want, let them pour a little out of one of the glasses “until they are even.”]

Experimenter: “Now watch what I’m going to do.”

[Pour the contents from one of the glasses into the tall thin glass]

Experimenter: “Now, is there the same amount of water in each glass?”

Task 2: Conservation of Mass

Next, take out the play-doh and shape it into 2 identical round balls. Set these in front of the child. Then begin the interview.

Experimenter: “See these two balls? Tell me, does this one have more clay [point to one ball] does this one have more clay [point to the other ball], or do they both have the same amount of clay?

[The child needs to agree that there is the SAME amount in each ball of clay to move on. If they want, let them take some clay from one of the balls “until they are even.”]

Experimenter: “Now watch what I’m going to do.”

[Roll one of the balls into a sausage/snake shape]

Experimenter: “Now, does each piece have the same amount?”

Written Report (due Tuesday, April 16^th):

Your paper should be written as a group, and should include the following sections. Be sure to use APA-style!

Introduction

In about a page, and using your text as a source, discuss what Piaget says about the transition from preoperational to concrete operational thought. Describe the concept of conservation and the tasks. Given Piaget’s theory, what differences would you expect to find between preschoolers and school-aged children. Be sure to use your own words or to paraphrase rather than quote directly. When you paraphrase or quote, you must cite the source, in this case your text (Siegler, 1998).

Method

In a couple of paragraphs describe what you did to collect your data. Where were you? Describe the characteristics of the children you interviewed (age, sex), and the materials and procedures you used. Be sure to include a transcript of the interview as an appendix to your paper.

Results

Your analysis should involve a comparison of the responses between the 2 groups of children you interviewed. For each type of conservation task, report whether the children displayed conservation and use quotes or examples to support your conclusions. You should present your results in a table that is easy to read. You should include your actual data as an appendix to the paper.

Discussion

Interpret your results. First, discuss whether you observed what you expected to observe (i.e., age differences in conservation), given Piaget’s ideas. If you observed age differences, what do they mean (according to Piaget)? If you did not find age differences, what might explain this? Second, besides Piaget’s interpretation, what are some other explanations for what you observed? Finally, discuss whether you think Piaget’s method accurately captures what preschoolers can or cannot do. How might you change the procedure to more accurately reflect what preschoolers know?

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