IGCSE Psychology - Piaget's Conservation Theory

Study Notes

Conservation

Refers to the understanding that quantity remains unchanged despite changes in the object's appearance.

Example of Conservation

Volume of liquid remains consistent when transferred between differently shaped containers.

Piaget's Study on Conservation

Younger children struggle to grasp that quantities don’t change with appearance alterations.
Experiment involved two identical rows of six counters; spacing changes led many young children to believe one row had fewer counters.

Challenge by McGarrigle and Donaldson

Suggested that children's initial misconceptions might stem from witnessing deliberate changes in the experiment, leading them to perceive genuine quantity changes.

'Naughty Teddy Study': Aim

Investigated if children's conservation responses would differ if the change in counter arrangement was accidental rather than intentional.

'Naughty Teddy Study': Method

Included 80 children from Edinburgh (40 nursery-aged and 40 primary-aged).
Introduced a mischievous teddy who accidentally rearranged counters during a game.
Children viewed two rows of counters (4 red and 4 white) before and after transformation and were asked about the quantities.

'Naughty Teddy Study': Results

Approximately 41% of children responded correctly when the change was deliberate.
About 68% responded correctly when the arrangement was altered accidentally.
Performance improved with age; older primary school children outperformed younger nursery children.

'Naughty Teddy Study': Conclusions

Showed that previous assessments underestimated children's conservation abilities.
Many nursery-aged children demonstrated conservation, contradicting Piaget’s claim.
Age-related performance differences aligned with Piaget's theory that cognitive abilities evolve with maturation.

'Naughty Teddy Study': Strengths

Challenged Piaget’s assumptions and provoked reevaluation of his research methods.
Indicated that children might possess greater conservation skills than previously thought, highlighting the importance of research refinement.

'Naughty Teddy Study': Weaknesses

Limited sample from one school, suggesting educational background might influence results, potentially undermining validity.
Lack of diversity in participants (all from Edinburgh) hampers generalizability across different cultures and environments.
Performance discrepancies may stem from variances in language development rather than purely cognitive conservation abilities.

Description

Explore the concept of conservation in Piaget's theory of cognitive development through engaging flashcards. This quiz covers key definitions, examples, and insights from Piaget's studies, helping you grasp this fundamental psychological concept.