PIAGETIAN INVESTIGATIONS

After reviewing your book and the videos
(provided in this document), you have learned
about Piaget’s Preoperational Stage of Cognitive
Development. For this assignment, you will
investigate the experiments that Piaget once
performed with children in order to
demonstrate the mental (cognitive) changes
they undergo through preschool, elementary,
and middle school. It is quite amazing to see
children’s thinking style gradually become more
logical and organized as they enter the next
stage.

Sometimes we see young children capable of certain skills but wonder why they are unable to grasp
certain issues or behave in certain ways. Watching these experiments will help you understand that
children are often incapable of thinking in certain ways, not because they are not smart, but because their
brains have not developed quite yet in certain ways. Piaget noted that children in pre-operational stage
are incapable of focusing on two aspects at one time. You will see this in your investigations!

That’s right! Now, you will be performing the following investigations! In this assignment, you will
observe two children within the ages of 3 to 7 years old. Child #1 needs to be in the 3-5 age range and
child #2 needs to be in the 6 to 7 age range. This will allow you to truly see the differences in
development. This is going to be one of the most fun assignments you have ever done in school! In the
packet you have been provided videos of other researchers doing these experiments to help you
understand these investigations of cognitive thinking. Be sure to watch the videos so that you can
accurately perform the experiments.

**Please do not use the child’s name, but refer to them as Child #1 and child #2.

DIRECTIONS:

All the steps for this project will be written in red. Be sure to follow them.

STEP 1: Read through this entire document – all the way through – so that you get an idea of what you will
be doing for this project. The student who doesn’t do this usually fails to turn in the proper work. Trust
me. Read through the entire document now.

STEP 2: Read the definitions and watch the videos provided for you, in this document for each of the
experimental tasks. This will take about 30 minutes but will be hugely beneficial. Most of these videos
are EXACTLY what you will be doing in this assignment.

Conservation

Definition: The principle that the amount of a substance remains the same (i.e. is conserved) even
when its appearance changes.
Source: Berger, K. 2012. The Developing Person: Through Childhood and Adolescence. NY: Worth Publishers. p. 259.

You Tube Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnArvcWaH6I (exactly what you will be doing! Watch and learn!!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtLEWVu815o (Great example of children with different thinking)

Classification
Definition: The logical principle that things can be organized into groups (or categories or classes) according
to some characteristic they have in common.
Source: Berger, K. 2012. The Developing Person: Through Childhood and Adolescence. NY: Worth Publishers. p. 352.

You Tube Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHR0-FIl8Yg (watch part w/ Legos, similar to what you will be doing)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0hcaik-x_w (almost exactly what we will be doing, ours is better!)

Seriation

Definition: the knowledge that things can be arranged in a logical series.
Source: Berger, K. 2012. The Developing Person: Through Childhood and Adolescence. NY: Worth Publishers. p. 352.

You Tube Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOorUw_XX2o (great example)

Morality

Definition: principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior.
Source: “morality.” In oxforddictionaries.com. Retrieved April 24, 2016, from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/mo rality.

STEP 3: The Investigation. You will now observe two children (between the ages of 3 and 7 years old).
Read the following techniques before you begin your investigation with these children. You will need to
make a copy of the Piagetian Investigation Form (attached to the assignment in Blackboard). Be sure to
have all of the materials needed before you begin you work with the children. It is best to have a quiet
space where it is just you and the child and nothing can interrupt the experiments.

There are certain techniques which must be followed in order to obtain optimal efficiency.

1. Do not continue the investigations over a long period of time; ten or fifteen minutes at the most
are long enough for to have a child do these activities. When you see signs of restlessness,
discontinue your investigation.

2. Let the child think for him/herself. Give the child plenty of time, do not rush. Let him/her
work out his/her own solutions to the problems.

3. Let him/her perform for him/herself whatever actions are called for (pouring, sorting, etc).
4. Ask precise, direct questions that do not influence the child’s answers. Even your tone can give a
clue in some cases, so try to be as noncommittal as possible.

Section I. Conservation Investigation

For the conservation investigation, you will be doing three experiments: (A. Glasses, B. Chopsticks, and C.
Graham Crackers)

Materials Needed:
A. Glasses Experiment:

1. 2 glasses filled with the same amount of colored water (example: one red, one yellow)
2. Tall narrow jar

B. Chopsticks Experiment
1. Two chopsticks

C. Graham Crackers Experiment
1. Graham crackers

Procedure for Experiments:

A. Glasses Experiment:

1. Put the two glasses filled with colored water in front of the child.
Make sure they have the same amount of liquid in each glass.

2. Ask child if both glasses have the same amount of water or if one has more or the other
has more. If child agrees they are the same….

3. Pour the water from one of those glass into a differently shaped tall glass
4. Ask whether the two glasses now contain the same amount of water or does this one have

more or does this one have more (pointing to each)
5. Wait for child to respond. When they give you their answer, ask the child, “how come?” or

“why do you think this one has more?”
6. Document all answers down on paper
7. Remember to tell the child they are doing great

B. Chopstick Experiment:
1. Place the chopsticks in front of the child parallel to one another like this:

2. Ask child if both chopsticks are the same size or if one is longer or the other is longer. If
child agrees they are the same….

3. Move one chopstick to the right so that they look like this:

4. Ask the child if the chopsticks are now the same or is this one longer or is this one longer?
5. Wait for child to respond. When they give you their answer, ask the child, “how come?” or

“why do you think this one has more?”
6. Document all answers down on paper
7. Remember to tell the child they are doing great

C. Graham Cracker Experiment
1. Break one graham cracker in half (in front of the child) and place the two squares in front

of you. Have an existing half ready for the child and place it in front of him/her. So at this
point, you have two halves and she/he has one half.

2. Ask child if you both have the same amount of graham crackers in front of each other. If
child agrees they are the same ask him or her to count the cracker in front of him and in
front of you? Once the child says, they are not the same….

3. Break the half in front of the child into two quarters.
4. Ask the child now, do we have the same, or do you have more or do I have more?
5. Wait for child to respond. When they give you their answer, ask the child, “how come?” or

“why do you think this one has more?”
6. Document all answers down on paper
7. Remember to tell the child they are doing great

Section II. Classification Investigation

Materials
Make sure the following shapes are as large as the palm of your hand – clearly cut and visible

8 circles (two each of red, green, blue and yellow)
5 triangles (two of red, one green, one blue and one yellow) C.
5 squares (two red, one blue, one yellow, one green)

Procedure:

1. Spread the shapes on a table in no particular order, but all should be plainly visible.
2. Place a blue circle and a blue square on one side of the table, “These two go together because

they’re the same in some way.”

3. Ask the child to “Put together things that are the same on one side of the table, put all different
things on the other side of the table.” Additional instructions may be given such as: “Put them here
if they’re the same, over there if they’re different from this one but the same as each other.”

4. If the child has classified in one way, ask if he can put them together in another way so that all the
things are the same.

Possibly the younger child will not be able to classify, but whatever he does, ask for an explanation as to
why the things put together are alike. What is his rationale for forming classes? Remember to tell the
child that he or she is doing a great job! If they can’t do the classification, move to making sure they feel
good about the task and maybe ask what shape it is or what color the shape is, just for the sure fact of
making them feel good about their time with you.

Section III: Seriation

Materials:
1 set of colored shapes (same color) of different sizes (squares or triangles are best)
Remember that these shapes are the same color, just different sizes. You should have at least 5 of them

Procedure:

1. Spread the cards on the table
2. Arrange five in the correct order from small to large
3. Ask child: “Can you make a row exactly like mine?”
4. Ask child to explain what they have done.
5. Remember to compliment the child on their work with you

Section IV: Morality
For this section, there will be two stories.

Procedure:

Say, “I am going to tell you a story about two boys.”
Story A:

A boy wanted a cookie even though his mother said he mustn’t have any so close to
dinner time. The boy went and snuck a cookie anyway. When he did, he knocked
over one of his mother’s best cups and broke it.
(Pause)
A boy wanted to help his mother by clearing the dishes off of the table. So he took
a tray and loaded lots and lots of cups on it. When he tried to carry the big load of
cups to the kitchen sink, he dropped them. Every last one of them broke.
Ask:
“Which boy was naughtier? (badder)
“Why?”

Procedure:
Say, “This next story is about being honest. Would you like to hear it?”

Story B:
A girl came home from school and told her mother that a great pink kitty cat as big
as an elephant had chased her home from school.
A girl made a tear in one of her mother’s magazines. When the mother asked her if
she’d torn the magazine, the girl said she hadn’t.

Ask:
“Which girl told the worse lie?”
“Why was it worse?”

Section V: Reflection

Create a one page reflection describing your experience observing these children. Your report should be
prepared using a 12 point font (Times New Roman, Ariel or Calibri). You may use the following questions
as a guide for your reflection. What did you learn from this assignment? What have you learned about
observing the differences in children’s development? In what ways were the children different in their
problem solving? Did the children perform as Piaget would have predicted? What questions do you have
about observing children or how their development reflects their biological or environmental influences?
What can you conclude about young children’s thinking? In what ways were you impressed with these
children’s problem solving? In what ways was their thinking limited?

Section VI. Evidence of Observation

Include evidence of your work through pictures of your materials. Either upload the actual picture or insert
screenshots at the end of the report.

STEP 4: The Report.

 Type your Name, Course Name, and Date in the heading of the form.

 Complete the Piagetian Investigation Form (found under assignments on Blackboard).

Be sure to write down everything that was said, both by you and by the child. Please write down

EVERYTHING the child said in response to your questions. Please do not use the child’s name, but

refer to them as Child #1 and child #2.

 Complete the Reflection portion on the form.

 Include pictures of all materials at the end of the form.

 View the grading rubric before completing your assignment.

 Upload the final product through the appropriate assignment portal in blackboard.

This assignment was originally developed by Professor Valdez and modified by Professor Naman. Modified: April 24, 2016

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HD 107 Human Development
Prof Naman

Piagetian Investigation Form
(This form should be copied and turned in with reflection, write directly on this form)

You will observe 2 children (different age categories) on each of the exercises. Follow the directions in the Piagetian
Assignment Packet. Record the children’s responses on this form. Observe each child separately.
READ the entire assignment document before attempting this assignment.

Section I. Conservation Investigation

Conservation Exercise of Liquids
Directions given to child by observer (exact wording):

Age of child Two identical glasses Two glasses of different sizes
___ Child #1 (3-5 yrs)
Response

___ Child #2 (6-7 yrs)
Response

Observer’s Comments:

Chopsticks Exercise
Directions given to child by observer (exact wording):

Two rows of chopsticks same

distance apart
Two rows of chopsticks; one row more to the
right

___ Child #1 (3-5 yrs)
Response

___ Child #2 (6-7 yrs)
Response

Observer’s Comments:

Graham Cracker Exercise
Directions given to child by observer (exact wording):

Two squares in front of you; one half

in front of child
Broken half of child’s square in front of them

___ Child #1 (3-5 yrs)
Response

___ Child #2 (6-7 yrs)
Response

Observer’s Comments:

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HD 107 Human Development
Prof Naman

Section II. Classification Investigation

Classification Exercise
Age of child Follow procedures 1-4 in assignment packet. Report the child’s response and

explanation as to why they put the items together.
___ Child #1 (3-5 yrs)
Response

___ Child #2 (6-7 yrs)
Response

Observer’s Comments:

Section III. Seriation Investigation

Seriation Exercise
Age of child Follow procedures 1-4 in assignment packet. Report the child’s response and

explanation as to why they put the items together.
___ Child #1 (3-5 yrs)
Response

___ Child #2 (6-7 yrs)
Response

Observer’s Comments:

Section IV. Morality Investigation

Morality Exercise
Age of child Story A Story B
___ Child #1 (3-5 yrs)
Response

___ Child #2 (6-7 yrs)
Response

Observer’s Comments:

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HD 107 Human Development
Prof Naman

Section V. Reflection
Provide a one page reflection describing your experience observing these children. What did you learn from
this assignment? What have you learned about observing the differences in children’s development? In what
ways were the children different in their problem solving? Did the children perform as Piaget would have
predicted? What questions do you have about observing children or how their development reflects their
biological or environmental influences? What can you conclude about young children’s thinking? In what ways
were you impressed with these children’s problem solving? In what ways was their thinking limited?

Section VI. Evidence of Observation
Include pictures of all your materials (screenshots will be accepted)