According to Piaget's theory, a child in the pre-operational stage, ages 2-7, only sees the world from their own viewpoint and cannot see other's perspectives - this is called egocentrism. When a child can decentre, they can see the world from another viewpoint other then their own. Piaget and Inhelder carried out a series of experiments to investigate when children decentre.
Aim
To invesitage the extent to which children of different ages were able to take the view of another person (decentre).
The sample
100 children aged 4-12 was used.
Equipment:
A model was used, consisting of "three mountains" of various sizes, each with different: one was short, green with a house on top and a path, one was medium height, brown with a red cross on the top and a stream, one was tall, grey and had snow on top. The model was one metre square and the mountains ranged from 12 to 30 centimeters high. Ten pictures of the model were taken from different angles. There were also three coloured cardboard representations of the mountains and a wooden doll (3cm tall).
Questions
The child was shown the mountain model and was asked to use the coloured cardboard to show how the scene looked from different viewpoints. They were asked to show their own viewpoint and the viewpoint the doll could "see".
The child was shown ten pictures of the model and asked to select the picture that represented what they could see and what the doll could see from different positions, and what the doll could see from.
The child was asked to choose a picture then position the doll so the doll could "see that viewpoint"
Results for children ages 4-7
Children in the pre-operational stage will choose pictures and place cardboard in the position that represents their own viewpoint, even if asked to show the doll's view. These children cannot place the doll in the correct position when provided with a picture of the viewpoint.
Results for children 7+
7-9 - beginning to understand how others can see the model differently.
9-12 - can completely understand the doll has a different viewpoint.
Conclusion.
Children up to 7 are egocentric.
Older children are not egocentric - they could see the mountain from the doll's perspective so can decentre.
