Research Project 2 Conservation Tasks

The purpose of this exercise is for you to see an example of a preoperational and a concrete operational reasoner. Pair up with another class member and test two children, a four- to five-year-old child and an eight- to nine-year-old child, using several of Piaget’s tasks. Administer two conservation and two classification tasks to each child, and then compare the children's responses with each other and attempt to interpret those responses in view of Piaget's theory. In order to test the two children, you will need to clear this through the human subjects review board at your school and gel a signed informed consent form from the children's parents. A description of the tasks, the data sheet for recording the observations, and a list of questions to answer follows.

Conservation Task 1: Conservation of number task. Make two sets of ten identical items with
each set a different color (e.g., one set of ten blue poker chips and one set of ten white poker chips). First place one row of same-colored ten items in front of the child. Ask the child to make an identical row with the other set. Ask the child if the two rows have the same amount of items or if
one row has more. Do not go on until the rows are identical in number and arrangement and the child agrees that the two rows are the same. Now spread one row out and push the other row together so that the display looks as follows:

Ask the child if the rows are the same or if one row has more. Ask the child why it is the same or why one has more and which one, if either, has more. If the child says one row has more, ask the child where the more came from. Record all responses.

Conservation Task 2: Conservation of liquid task. Pour into two identical glasses an identical amount of juice. Ask the child if the two glasses have the same amount, and adjust the volume in each glass until the child agrees that both have the same. Now pour the liquid from one glass into a taller, thinner glass. Ask the child if the amount of juice is the same in both glasses or if one has more. If the child thinks one has more, ask which one. Have the child justify the judgment of having the same or different amount. Record all responses.

Classification Task 1:

Classification of groups: Present the child with cutouts of big and small triangles, circles, and squares. Some of the shapes should be red, some blue, and some green. Ask the child to put together those things that go together. Record how the child sorts the objects. Now ask the child if there is another way to put the objects together. Record the second sort.

Classification Task 2: Present the child with a set of wooden beads, with ten red and two blue. (You can substitute poker chips or M&Ms.) Ask the child if there are more red beads or more blue beads. If the child were to make a train with the red beads and another train with the blue beads, which (rain would be longer? Now ask the child if there are more red beads or more wooden beads. If the child were to make a train with the red beads and another train with the wooden beads, which train would be longer?

Child 1 Child 2

Task Sex____Age____ Sex____ Age

Conservation Task 1:

Creation of row

Response

Justification

Conservation Task2:

Response

Justification

Classification Task 1:

First ordering

Second ordering

Classification Task 2:

Response: red > blue?

Response: red > wooden?

Questions

1. Which tasks did the four- to five-year-old child solve? How would you characterize the nature of the child's responses to the questions?

2. Which tasks did the eight- to nine-year-old child solve? How would you characterize the nature of the child's responses to the questions?

3. How would you characterize the differences between the performance of the younger and older child on these tasks?

4. What do these observations tell you about Piaget's theory? How would the children be classified into Piaget's stages based on their responses to your problems?

Chapter 11

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16