Piaget and His Theory of Animism - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Piaget

and HisTheory of Animism

By Alexandra

Bartkus

and Caitlin CahillSlide2

Objectives of this Presentation:After this presentation, the audience will have:

Knowledge about Jean Piaget.A basic understanding of Piaget’s stages of cognitive development.The ability to identify animism in children.

An understanding the methodology of the research study that will be performed.Slide3

Concept Map:Slide4

Who Is Piaget?

Born August 9, 1896 in Neuchatel, SwitzerlandBegan his career at age 10Received his PhD at the University of Neuchatel.

Paris: studies wrong answers of young boys

1923: married Valentine

Chatenay

With whom he had 3 kids:

Jacqueline

Lucienne

Laurent

Jean William Fritz PiagetSlide5

BACKGROUND:

Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development

Sensorimotor

(from infancy to 2 years of age)

Pre-Operational (2-7 years old)

Concrete Operational (7-12 years old)

Formal Operational (12 years+)

= AnimismSlide6

TERMINOLOGY:Children’s view of the world as alive and feeling.

Animism:Example:

Physiognomic

Perception

:

Wern

er’s

idea that children react to energetic, emotional, and expressive qualities of objects

Child Video Example

Sound of Music ClipSlide7

Four Phases of AnimismAnimism associated with all objects (4-6 yrs)

Example: A light bulb is alive because it gives light.Animism associated with any movement (6-8 yrs)Example: A toy car is alive because it rolls.

Animism associated with objects that move on their own accord. (8 years and up)

Animism no longer exists in a child when they consider only plants and animals to be alive.Slide8

Is animism gradually abandoned within the four stages of animism provided by Piaget, or do children abruptly abandon these animistic perceptions of the world?

The PremiseSlide9

Guiding QuestionsWill the questions we have created support Piaget’s method of identifying animism?Will the children, overall, display a general replication of Piaget’s theory of the four stages of animism?

Will there be distinct stages or will we see transitioning children as well?Slide10

Hypothesis:Animism is a gradually developing process within a child’s cognitive development. Children may individually vary in their beliefs, but the stages outlined by Piaget encompass the majority of children in cognitive development. Therefore, animism is a continual and gradual process that is abandoned over time not abruptly.Slide11

Methodology: Part IStudents to be observed will be given the handout

.Students will be presented with demonstrations of the following items:A lampA balloonA teddy bearA toy car

A real potted flower

Students will be asked various questions.

Refer to the handout.Slide12

Methodology: Part IIHave the teacher or principal randomly choose two students (one male and one female) from the class studied.

Separately interview the two students on the answers they recorded on their answer sheet.

The study will be conducted on

four separate classrooms.Slide13

DATASlide14

How Piaget evaluated Data“Is the sun alive?– Yes.– Why?– It gives light.–

Is a candle alive?– Yes because it gives light. It is alive when it is giving light, but it isn’t alive when it is not giving light. . . .Is the play-bell alive?– Yes, it rings.” (Piaget, 1926, p. 196)“Is a stone alive?– Yes.

– Why?–

It moves. . .

How does it move?–

By rolling.–

Is the table alive?–

No, it can’t move. . . .

Is a bicycle alive?–

Yes.– Why?– It goes. (p. 196)

Crain, William. (2005). Theories of Development: Concepts and Applications. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.Slide15

Part I: Rubric for Evaluating the Worksheet

Points01Exception

Description

Belief

that the object is “Not Alive”

Belief that the object “Not Feeling”

Belief that the object “Not Knowing”

Belief that the object is “Alive”

Belief in

the object having “Feeling”

Belief in the object “Knowing”Belief that the Real Flower is “Alive” = 0 points.Slide16

Worksheet: Rubric for Total Points

Total Points12-158-114-7

0-3

Stage

of Animism

1

st

Stage:

Animism associated with all objects

2

nd Stage: Animism associated with any movement3rd Stage: Animism associated with objects that move on their own accord. 4th Stage: Animism no longer exists in a child when they consider only plants and animals to be alive.Ages

that this typically occurs*

4-6 years

6-8 years

8 years and up

* According to PiagetSlide17

Part II: Rubric for Evaluating Interview

Points012

3

Description

Answer reflected

that only humans, animals, and plants are alive.

Answer reflected

belief that the object was alive because of movement of its own accord.

Answer reflected

belief that the object was alive because of movement.

Answer reflected belief that the object was alive because of any activity/consciousness .Slide18

Interview: Rubric for Total Points

Total Points33-4817-321-16

0

Stage

of Animism

1

st

Stage:

Animism associated with all objects

2

nd Stage: Animism associated with any movement3rd Stage: Animism associated with objects that move on their own accord. 4th Stage: Animism no longer exists in a child when they consider only plants and animals to be alive.Ages

that this typically occurs*

4-6 years

6-8 years

8 years and up

* According to PiagetSlide19

Piaget’s Stages of Animism: Stages per GradeSlide20

Stages per Grade ChartSlide21

Overall in Each StageSlide22

Part I: Slide23

Male-Female ComparisonSlide24

Male-Female ComparisonSlide25

Part II: Justification of rubricSlide26

1st Grade:Female:

Worksheet Score: 2 / Interview Score: 24Q3: Does the Lamp know when the light is on, yes or no? A: “No because it can’t see the light.”  --- Werner: 3 points

Q8: Is the Car alive, yes or no?  

A:

“No, because it can’t move by itself.”

--- Piaget: 1 point

Q11: Is the Giraffe alive, yes or no?

A:

“No because he can’t move.”

--- Piaget: 2 points  Male:

Worksheet Score: 4 / Interview Score: 15Q1: Is the Lamp alive, yes or no? A: “Yes because I was guessing.” --- No pointsQ8: Is the Car alive, yes or no? A: “No because it doesn’t move.” --- Piaget: 2 PointsQ12: Does the Giraffe feel anything when I scratch its head, yes or no? A: “No because it won’t bite.” --- Werner: 3 pointsSlide27

3rd Grade: Female:

Worksheet Score: 0 / Interview Score: 36Q1: Is the Lamp alive, yes or no? A: “No because it can’t move.”  --- Piaget: 2 pointsQ4: Does the light feel anything when I touch it, yes or no?  

A

:

“No because it didn’t see you touch it.”

-

-- Werner: 3 points

Q10: Does the Car feel it is moving, yes or no?

A:

“No because it doesn’t have hands.”-- Werner: 3 points 

Male: Worksheet Score: 3 / Interview Score: 9Q2: When the Light is on, is the light alive, yes or no?A: “Yes because it lights up and looks bright, like the sun.”---Piaget: 3 PointsQ7: Does the Balloon feel when I push on it, yes or no?A: “No, because it is just air inside plastic.”--- No pointsQ10: Does the Car feel it is moving, yes or no?A: “Yes, because it is moving because it has to step on no wheels.”--- Piaget: 3 PointsSlide28

5th Grade:Female:

Worksheet Score: 3 / Interview Score: 9Q1: Is the Lamp alive, yes or no? A: “No because it has no soul. A soul is what makes you.”  --- No points

Q3: Does the Lamp know when the light is on, yes or no? 

A:

“Yes because my brother has a clap light, it would have to know.”

--- Piaget: 3 points

Q9: Does the Car know it is moving, yes or no?

A:

“Yes because it has a motor and would have to know it’s on.”

--- Piaget: 3 points 

Male: Worksheet Score: 2 / Interview Score: 3Q1: Is the Lamp alive, yes or no? A: “No because it doesn’t have a mind or a heart.”--- No pointsQ6: Does the Balloon know I am blowing air into it, yes or no?A: “No because it has no nerves for pressure.”--- No pointsQ16: Does the Flower Feel when I touch it, yes or no?A: “Yes because it would have feelings because it is alive.” --- Piaget: 3 pointsSlide29

6th Grade:Female:

Worksheet Score: 2 / Interview Score: 9Q2: When the Light is on, is the light alive, yes or no?A: “No because it is electricity powered, and I always think alive as human-like.”  --- Piaget: 3 points

Q10: Does the Car feel it is moving, yes or no? 

A:

“No because it doesn’t have a nervous system.”

--- No points

Q15: Does the Flower know when the sun is out, yes or no?

A:

“Yes, if it is alive it can feel what is helping it grow.”

--- Piaget: 3 points  Male:

Worksheet Score: 1 / Interview Score: 0Q1: Is the Lamp alive, yes or no? A: “No because it doesn’t have a beating heart.”--- No pointsQ8: Is the Car alive, yes or no? A: “No. It has a battery, not a heart.”--- No pointsQ11: Is the Giraffe alive, yes or no? A: “No because the Holy Spirit is not with it.”--- No pointsSlide30

Overall ResultsSlide31

Female ResultsSlide32

Male ResultsSlide33

Guiding Questions: AnsweredWill the questions we have created support Piaget’s method of identifying animism?

Yes and NoWill the children, overall, display a general replication of Piaget’s theory of the four stages of animism?YesWill there be distinct stages or will we see transitioning children as well?Not through the worksheets, but through the interviews– yes. Slide34

Conclusion: Hypothesis = correctAnimism = gradually developing process

✓Children may individually vary in their beliefs ✓

The stages outlined by Piaget encompass the majority of children in cognitive development

✓

Animism is a continual and gradual process that is abandoned over time not abruptly.

✓Slide35

Sources of Error:First grade class study only consisted of 6 students.Allowing the teacher/principal to select the students to be interviewed randomly: students were very timid.

Distractions in the interview area. Slide36

Ways To Improve This Study:Include a Preschool class in the study.Create a more effective yet unbiased way of selecting the students to be interviewed.Use a more controlled environment for the interviews.

Find a more accurate way of objectifying the subjective.Slide37

Further Study:Animistic development comparison between males and females.Compare Werner’s physiognomic perception to Piaget’s animism based off of the same observations.Strictly interview-based research.

Study based more specifically to age.Slide38

Nature Nurture Line

Nature

Nurture

Rousseau

Locke

Piaget

Montessori

Vygotsky

Skinner

Bandura

Alex

Caitlin