COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION
Conservation refers to scientific thinking that allows a person to determine that a certain quantity will remain the same regardless of modification of the container, shape, or perceptible size (Asante & Hanson 28). AccordingJean Piaget, the conservation abilities in children, is absent when a child is between the age of 2-6 but present when a child is between the age of 6-12. The conservation tasks test the children’s abilities to recognize some properties are invariant after an object undergoes physical transformation. Cognitive development has characteristics whereby a child focuses on a single, salient dimension of height or length while ignoring other vital attributes of an object. According to this study of conservation of number, I based my research on Piaget’s theory of cognitive development.
In my study, I used two children, a girl, and a boy, both of them coming from different schools and different municipalities. I selected from different schools and locality in order not to make a judgment from only one perspective. They were both in lower primary classes, ages 6 and 8. My study adapted the Piaget’s Piagetian task on number conservation using the one judgment task. There was no much cultural difference between the two children. My research was conducted at mi-day before the children took their naps. Both the children have the same religion, speak the same language, and have the same culture.
I administered my study activity at mid-day on Saturday when my classmates and I were present. Since it was on holiday, I conducted my study at home. My research employed the interview method, and I tested the children individually away from one another. I instructed the children using the local language due to its vast usage.
Considering other studies and some of the Piaget’s criticism, my studies applied a little bit different criteria. I tested the children using the one judgmental task as I increase the number of objects materials. The kinds of objects I used in my study were assorted and included small toys of varied colors.
Before testing the children, I explained to the children the activity which was going to take place, which of course relaxed them. I then gave them sweets for participating in the event after the test. I then gave every child two tests using different objects and varying the positions of the objects in each stage. I follow up with questions to receive the response in each case. For example, ‘how do you identify each object?’ ‘How and why do you say they are the same or different in number?’ ‘How did you conclude?’ I administered the test in two stages; the first stage uses materials with varying colors and equal quantity, and the second stage used the matching objects of different colors.
While testing the six-year-old boy child, I used five-colored shells, small toys, and cubes. Equal materials of varying colors and various materials placed in a row, one line facing the child and another one facing me. I spread the materials facing me after every question. I added some other three objects to the row. The child was to confirm if the number of shells was equal or not. While testing the eight years old child, I gave him five different matching colors of bottle tops, small toys, cubes, and shells to confirm the child’s matching knowledge. The girl was to tell if the rows are equal or not. The row in front of the child was spread, and the girl was to know if the two rows were similar or not while I increased the number of materials to seven.
Even though the two children were equally likely to answer the question differently, it is reasonable to find that if they know conservation, then they would show a consistency in their responses (Asante & Hanson 32). Although there was no interruption in both children, the reactions of the boy child show that he still has difficulties in classifying whether the two rows had the same number when there more objects added. I observed that at times he responds to the questions correctly, but in some instances, he could mess up. For example, he sometimes focused on chips as single objects and not as a long row. The eight-year girl responses were significantly more consistent and correct. I realize that she was a conversant since she could respond correctly. She could count and compare the objects and said that the two rows are the same, thus going well with my expectations of the study.
The results from the study are consistent with Piaget’s conclusion on children’s ability to conserve at the actual operational stage. My end is that my results go well with the discussion we had in our class. The findings suggest that the ability to conserve increases with the age of the child (Meyerhoff 1). While the theory of Piaget and Gesell stresses on motor development, the method of Erikson and Spock emphasizes in the emotional development of children
Works Cited
Asante, Joyce Nsiah, and Ruby Hanson. “Exploring Ghanaian Children Conservation of Number.” (2018). Available at https://infonomics-society.org/wp-content/uploads/jitll/published-papers/volume-1-2018/Exploring-Ghanaian-Children-Conservation-of-Number-.pdf
Meyerhoff Michael. “Understanding Cognitive and Social Development in a Newborn.” Theories of Cognitive Development (2020). Available at https://lifestyle.howstuffworks.com/family/parenting/babies/understanding-cognitive-and-social-development-in-a-newborn-ga3.htm.