A child's tendency to only be able to see the world from their own point of view
Conservation
The ability to realise the quantity remains the same even when the appearance of an object or group of objects change
Aim
To test if children were able to cope with an egocentric task
Method - participants
30 children aged 3.5 years to 5 years
Method
Policeman positioned onto a diagram and the children were asked if the policeman could see the doll. The policeman was then moved and the child was asked to hide the doll from the policeman. A second policeman was then introduced and the children were asked to complete the same task.
Results
90% of children were able to place the doll where the two policeman dolls could not see it. More complex trials (5/6 scenarios). 3 years old correct - 60% of the time. 5 years old correct - 60% of the time
Conclusion
Younger children were able to see the world from another perspective therefore were less egocentric than Piaget expected. Age difference is egocentricity
