Cognitive Development Research Study :Piaget (1952)

• What is the aim of this study?

  • To demonstrate that children in the concrete operational stage were more likely to be able to conserve than those in the pre-operation stage.
• What type of experiment was it?

  • the experiment was a natural experiment, as the independent variable was naturally occurring(the age of the children).
• What was the DV?

  • the ability to conserve number.
• What type of study was it ?

  • It was a cross-sectional study because Piaget tested different children of different ages.
• What was the design?

  • It was an independent measures design as each age group represents a different condition of the IV.
• What was the sample?

  • The actual size of his sample is not known as he did not report it .
  • It consisted of a relative small sample of Swiss School children from Geneva.
  • The sample also consisted his own 3 children.
• What were the materials?

  • Counters
• What was the procedure?

  • Each child was tested individually .They were shown 2 rows of counters that were lined up side by side. Each counter , in each row was lined up directly opposite the counter in the next row so that both rows were equally matched.
  • Then the child was asked 'Is there the same number of counters in each row?'