Piaget's Conservation This Experiment Is

¶ … PIAGET'S CONSERVATION This experiment is designed to investigate the cognitive development phenomenon described by Piaget in relation to the ability of children to recognize fluid and material conservation. Te design of the experiment involves the use of glass containers of different sizes, shapes, and dimensions selected specifically because they differ in relative widths and heights in a manner that requires accurate perception of fluid conservation to correctly identify their relative volume.

The experiment consists of multiple trials among three different groups of subjects: children 5 to 7 years of age, 8 to 10 years of age, and 11 to 13 years of age. The results of the experiment documented that increasing age is directly related to the acquisition conservation perception. Older children had higher rates of conservation perception and the highest rate of the transitional stage was demonstrated by the middle group. The main conclusion drawn from the experimental result is that Piaget's principle is confirmed by the experiment.

Method and Materials The experimental subject group consisted of 378 students ranging in age from 5 years of age to 13 years of age. From that group, the subjects were divided by age into three groups: Group 1 consisted of ages 5 to 7; Group 2 consisted of ages 8 to 10; and Group 3 consisted of children aged 11 to 13. All of the groups participated in the same series of experimental trials in separate classrooms.

More specifically, the individual subjects were tested in isolation behind a screen so that the other members of the group could not observe and be influenced by the results of trials of their fellow participants. One experimenter maintained orderliness among the group while the other experimenter sat behind the screen next to a table where the materials were assembled and where each subject was tested individually. The materials used consisted of standard wide-mouth beakers and taller and narrower graduated glass containers filled with various quantities of colored liquid.

The liquid used was ordinary tap water containing blue food dye. The wide-mouth beakers had a maximum volume approximately three times that of the maximum volume of the taller glass containers. The height of the wide-mouth beakers was 5.5 inches and the height of the taller glass containers was 13 inches. The diameter of the wide-mouth beakers was 3 inches; the diameter of the taller glass containers was 1 inch. Before conducting a demonstration using the liquid, the experimenter engaged the subject in sufficient conversation to establish a rapport.

The experimenter then asked the subject to look at the empty containers and hypothesize which container would likely hold more fluid, recording those results. Subjects who indicated an awareness of the conservation at.