Literature Review

Assignment #1: Piaget Task Paper (70 pts)

Assignment Description

This activity is an opportunity for you to try a Piagetian task described in the course with two real children (any age group from infancy to adolescence)! At what ages do children pass Piaget’s tasks? Today, researchers criticize Piaget for underestimating children's cognitive abilities. To examine these criticisms, and one of Piaget’s tasks for yourself, you will be testing TWO children of different ages with THE SAME PIAGET TASK. Your goal is to compare Piaget’s theory to real-life in order to observe the strengths and weaknesses of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. Don’t worry if the child “fails” the task. Rather, just observe and report the behaviors you see! Submit assignment on Canvas by 11:59pm on Sunday, February 15th, 2020.

Important Notes and Requirements

· *I expect you to view “Piagetian Tasks: Tips and Resources” document on Canvas > Modules > Assignment Instructions for help finding more information about, and selecting age-appropriate, Piaget tasks.

· I suggest making a voice recording when testing children, so you can listen later to the wording you each used.

· Write this assignment using full, grammatically correct sentences, making sure to cite (in-text) and reference (in reference list) any sources that you used using proper American Psychological Association (APA), 6th or 7th edition, format. For help with how to properly format papers using APA format:

· Watch “Dr. Friendly’s APA Formatting Tips!” video on Canvas > Modules > Assignment Instructions and ask me if you have questions. There’s no excuse for improper APA formatting on your assignments).

· Refer to Perdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)’s APA Formatting Guide for in-text citations (https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/in_text_citations_author_authors.html) and for the reference list: (https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_books.html)

Instructions

STEP 1: You should choose ONE age-appropriate Piagetian task (i.e., a task that Piaget says will help us figure out the particular cognitive abilities that your chosen age groups have or lack). Consider the age groups that Piaget said should “fail” vs. “pass” a particular Piagetian task, discussed in lecture. Ideally, try to select, (1) one participant who, according to Piaget, should be in an age group that should “fail” that task, and, (2) a second participant who, according to Piaget, should be in an age group that should “pass” that task.

STEP 2: Complete Part 1 of this Assignment: The Piagetian Task Plan. Simply answer each question in full, grammatically correct sentences (and using APA in-text citations for any information from class or other sources). Make sure to NUMBER your answers the same as listed in the plan, so it is very clear which question you are answering. Refer to class terms and definitions, whenever possible, to demonstrate your learning and receive top marks (citing the textbook). NO need to submit the plan yet, instead save it and submit it at the same time as part 2!

STEP 3: Administer the Piaget task, in its original format, to each of your two participants. Follow your “plan” from Step 2, to ensure you are using the exact same words and actions as the original Piaget task! I suggest voice recording the session (if appropriate). Don’t forget to take a picture of the task set up, to include with your paper

STEP 4: Complete Part 2 of this Assignment: Piagetian Task Summary & Results. Simply answer each question in full, grammatically correct sentences (and using APA in-text citations for any information from class or other sources). Make sure to LETTER your answers the same as listed, so it is very clear which question you are answering. Refer to class terms and definitions, whenever possible, to demonstrate your learning and receive top marks (citing the textbook). Submit BOTH Part 1 and Part 2 of this assignment, together, by the due date listed above.

Format

Answer all questions using full, and grammatically correct sentences. Relate to class content, DEFINING all class terms

· Submit one section labeled “Piaget Task Plan”, followed by another section labeled “Piaget Task Summary and Results” in the same document.

· Subheadings within each section should be numbered/lettered the exact same as in this assignment so it is very clear which question in the plan and summary you are answering

· Don’t forget to include a picture of your Piaget task set-up (only include child in the picture with permission)

· Make sure to cite (in-text) and reference (at end of paper) any sources of information using proper APA format (6th or 7th edition of APA accepted). 12-point font, 1-inch margins, and double-spaced, NO abstract is needed.

· Do NOT cite lectures. Instead, please cite the textbook (this is where the lecture content came from)

· “Paraphrase” rather than directly quote any in-class or reference material. However direct quotes for the children’s or your language during the task is okay because the exact wording used is important

PART 1: PIAGET TASK PLAN (35 points total). Please answer the following questions:

1. PIAGET’S THEORY (8 pts). What are Piaget’s 4 Stages of Cognitive Development? For each stage, summarize the stage qualities in ONE sentence, and list the stage’s age range.

2. YOUR CHOSEN PIAGET TASK (7 pts)

a. What is the name of the Piaget Task you will be using (e.g., “Conservation of Liquid Task”, “Conservation of Number Task”, “Object Permanence Task”, “Seriation Task”, “Reasoning Task”, etc.).

b. What behaviors would you see a child demonstrate if they “PASSED” this task, according to Piaget?

c. What behaviors would you see a child demonstrate if they “FAILED” this task, according to Piaget?

3. COGNITIVE ABILITIES RELEVANT TO YOUR PIAGET TASK (10 pts) (For this section, AVOID listing all the abilities and limitations for each child’s stage. Instead, just list the ability[ies] that YOUR chosen task is designed to test for )

a. Which cognitive ability(ies) would Piaget say leads a child to “PASS” your chosen task? This should be the ability(ies) that Piaget designed the task to test for. Make sure to DEFINE each ability listed and explain WHY/HOW it helps a child pass the task.

b. Which cognitive ability(ies), or lack thereof, would Piaget say leads the child to “FAIL” your chosen task? Make sure to DEFINE each ability listed and explain WHY/HOW it leads a child to fail the task.

4. PIAGET’S PREDICTIONS (6pts). For BOTH of the participants you will be testing, please describe:

a. Their AGE and which Piaget Stage they would currently be in, according to Piaget (Note: If you are testing a 6-, 7-, 11- or 12-year-old, then list BOTH stages they could fall into. If you are testing an infant in the Sensorimotor Stage, make sure to list the specific SUBSTAGE they fall into and the age range of this substage, listed in the textbook and lecture slides).

b. Based on their stage or substage, would Piaget predict that each participant would PASS or FAIL your chosen task? (Note: if you are testing a 6-, 7-, 11- or 12-year-old, then the answer might be ‘both’).

5. PREPARE YOUR EXPERIMENT’S ‘SCRIPT’ (4 pts). In order to replicate one of Piaget’s original tasks, it is important that you use the exact same wording/phrasing and actions as Piaget did. This way you can determine if you observed the same results as Piaget, using his design. It is also important to use the exact same wording for both of your participants, to avoid biasing your results. Re-watch the video of your chosen task from lecture and, using the same exact design, create a step-by-step ‘script’ or plan of the ACTIONS and QUESTIONS (if any) you will use to test your two participants.

PART 2: PIAGET TASK SUMMARY & RESULTS (35 points total). Please answer the following questions:

A. PARTICIPANTS (4 pts). Concisely describe the two participants you have chosen for this activity (include their ages, home languages, schooling experience, and any other information that may help explain the child's performance on the task).

B. METHODS (7 pts):

a. SETTING (3 pts). Describe the setting(s) in which you administered the task. Include enough detail so another experimenter could find the same type of setting(s) if they wanted to replicate your study.

b. MATERIALS & PICTURE OF TASK (4 pts). Describe all of the materials you used to administer the task. This should be like your “shopping list” (or like the “ingredients” section of a recipe), so that if another experimenter wanted to run the same study, they could set it up with the exact same materials. Do not forget to attach a PICTURE of your task set up at the end of this assignment (-1 point if picture is not included)

C. PROCEDURE AND RESULTS (8 pts)

a. Did you follow your experimental “script” (from question 5) exactly? If not, it is OK, just make sure to explain why you needed to deviate from your script.

b. Describe the results from each child you tested (i.e., What did you observe the child SAY and DO during the task?). Include direct quotes from child and from yourself during the experiment, focusing on any revealing responses, questions, and explanations that the child provided. (Don’t worry if the child “fails” the task. Rather, just observe and report the behaviors you see!)

c. State if each child “passed” or “failed” the task and how you determined this. Describe similarities and/or differences you witnessed between the two children’s performance on the task.

D. RELATION TO PIAGET’S THEORY (12 pts) (Recall: Refer to key concepts and definitions discussed in lectures).

a. Based on your experiment’s results, which cognitive ability(ies) would Piaget say each child has or lacks? For each cognitive ability listed, provide ONE example, referring back to behavior or words used by the child.

b. Explain how your findings compare with Piaget’s predicted findings (i.e., is this the same or different outcome then what Piaget predicted in his theory?)

c. Review the lecture slides on ‘Criticisms of Piaget’ and list TWO criticisms about his theory that could be relevant to the behaviors you observed in your Piaget experiment. For each criticism, describe HOW it might have impacted your results, and provide an example from your experiment. (E.g., If you found different results than Piaget predicted, then you could use these criticisms to try to explain these differences. If you found identical or similar results to Piaget’s predictions, then you could use these criticisms to suggest why Piaget’s findings might not reflect what children’s “real-life” thinking abilities actually are at each age.)

d. Considering the above criticisms, explain why Piaget’s Theory is still considered important or valuable to our understanding of Cognitive Development today.

E. REFLECTION (4 pts). Using 1st-person perspective (“I”, “Me”), end with a reflection. Explain what you learned from this experience and how you will apply it in your future. Your explanation should be detailed and specific to avoid losing points.

F. REFERENCE LIST. Include the full and accurate APA-formatted reference for all sources cited in the text of your paper. Recall: Do NOT reference lecture slide. Instead, please cite the textbook

G. APPENDIX (-1 point if not included). Attach picture(s) of the set-up and/or materials used for your task(s). Note: the child should NOT be in the picture unless you have permission from the caregiver. They do not need to be in the picture at all – all you need to include is the setup & materials used!

Note other possible deductions:

· Late turn in (see Syllabus on Canvas for assignment Late Policy)

· Lack of proper APA-style (6th or 7th edition) Headings and Citations (up to -5 pts)

· Grammatical and spelling errors (up to -5pts)