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Samuel & Bryant (1983)
Asking one question in the conservation experiment
Background
• Piaget’s Stages of Development
• Piaget’s Studies
Samuel and Bryant believed:• Piaget’s method was flawed – by asking the question twice he
forced children into providing an incorrect second answer as asking twice made children believe a different answer was required and their first answer was wrong even if it actually was not (Demand characteristics)
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Aims
• To show Piaget’s methodology was flawed
• To show that children under the age of 7 could conserve
3
Participants
• 252 boys and girls• From a school in Devon• Aged between 5 and 8 ½ years old
• Participants were split into 4 groups of 63 based on age
• Each group then divided into 3 (21 in each question condition)
04/14/23 4
5 years 3 months6 years 3 months7 years 3 months8 years 3 months
Method
• Laboratory Experiment – Features of a lab experiment are??
5
Design
• A mixture of designs used– Matched Pairs - Students matched on age
– Independent measures - used as different children in each question condition
– Repeated measures - used as each child completed all the conservation tasks 4 times
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Variables
• Independent Variables: – Age– Type of Question asked (standard, one question
and fixed array)– Type of task given (mass – Playdoh, number –
counters and volume – liquid).
• Dependent Variable: Mean number of errors made on the conservation tasks
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Condition 1 - Standard
• Standard: This is the traditional two question conservation task as carried out by Piaget.
1. Child asked question - Does this glass have more water, does this glass have more water or do they have the same amount of water? – child answers
2. See transformation - Liquid from one glass poured into a different shaped glass
3. Child asked same question again - Does this glass have more water, does this glass have more water or do they have the same amount of water? – child answers
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Condition 2 – One question
• One question: The child is only asked once about the size of the object and this is after the transformation has taken place (post-transformation)
1. Child sees transformation - Child shown two glasses of water with the same amount of water in each (same shape glasses). Liquid from one glass poured into a different shaped glass
2. Child asked question - Does this glass have more water, does this glass have more water or do they have the same amount of water? – child answers
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Condition 3 – Fixed array
• Fixed Array: The child only sees the objects after they have been changed
1. Child sees transformed object - Child shown two glasses of water with the same amount of water in each glass (different shape glasses)
2. Child asked question - Does this glass have more water, does this glass have more water or do they have the same amount of water? – child answers
04/14/23 10
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63 students mean age 7 years 3 months
63 students mean age 7 years 3 months
63 students mean age 8 years 3 months
63 students mean age 8 years 3 months
63 students mean age 5 years 3 months
63 students mean age 5 years 3 months
63 students mean age 6 years 3 months
63 students mean age 6 years 3 months
Sample - 252 boys and girls from a school in DevonSample - 252 boys and girls from a school in Devon
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Test 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Test 4 times
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Tested 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Tested 4 times
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Tested 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Tested 4 times
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Tested 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Tested 4 times
Test on Volume, Mass and Number 4 times each in a counterbalanced order
12
63 students mean age 7 years 3 months
63 students mean age 7 years 3 months
63 students mean age 8 years 3 months
63 students mean age 8 years 3 months
63 students mean age 5 years 3 months
63 students mean age 5 years 3 months
63 students mean age 6 years 3 months
63 students mean age 6 years 3 months
Sample - 252 boys and girls from a school in DevonSample - 252 boys and girls from a school in Devon
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Test 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Test 4 times
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Tested 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Tested 4 times
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Tested 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Tested 4 times
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Tested 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Tested 4 times
Test on Volume, Mass and Number 4 times each in a counterbalanced order
13
63 students mean age 7 years 3 months
63 students mean age 7 years 3 months
63 students mean age 8 years 3 months
63 students mean age 8 years 3 months
63 students mean age 5 years 3 months
63 students mean age 5 years 3 months
63 students mean age 6 years 3 months
63 students mean age 6 years 3 months
Sample - 252 boys and girls from a school in DevonSample - 252 boys and girls from a school in Devon
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Test 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Test 4 times
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Tested 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Tested 4 times
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Tested 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Tested 4 times
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Tested 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Tested 4 times
Test on Volume, Mass and Number 4 times each in a counterbalanced order
14
63 students mean age 7 years 3 months
63 students mean age 7 years 3 months
63 students mean age 8 years 3 months
63 students mean age 8 years 3 months
63 students mean age 5 years 3 months
63 students mean age 5 years 3 months
63 students mean age 6 years 3 months
63 students mean age 6 years 3 months
Sample - 252 boys and girls from a school in DevonSample - 252 boys and girls from a school in Devon
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Test 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Test 4 times
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Tested 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Tested 4 times
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Tested 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Tested 4 times
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
ONE QUESTION
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
STANDARD’
Tested 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Tested 4 times
21 students
FIXED ARRAY
Tested 4 times
Test on Volume, Mass and Number 4 times each in a counterbalanced order
Procedure
• Child tested individually in one of the conditions
• Child tested on each conservation task in a counterbalanced order
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Controls• The order the tasks were completed by the children was
varied to control for order effects – using counterbalancing
• All children completed the tasks alone
• Same materials used for each child
• Same questions asked in each condition
• WHY ARE CONTROLS GOOD?04/14/23 16
Results
Experimental Condition
Average Age
Standard One question Fixed Array
5 years 3 months
8.5 7. 3 8.6
6 years 3 months
5.7 4. 3 6.4
7 years 3 months
3.2 2.6 4. 9
8 years 3 months
1.7 1. 3 3. 3
Experimental Condition
Material
Standard
OneQuestion
Fixed Array
Number 1.476 1.024 1.536
Mass 1.512 1.190 1.714
Volume 1.810 1.595 2.500
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This age had the least errors
Results
Experimental Condition
Average Age
Standard One question Fixed Array
5 years 3 months
8.5 7. 3 8.6
6 years 3 months
5.7 4. 3 6.4
7 years 3 months
3.2 2.6 4. 9
8 years 3 months
1.7 1. 3 3. 3
Experimental Condition
Material
Standard
OneQuestion
Fixed Array
Number 1.476 1.024 1.536
Mass 1.512 1.190 1.714
Volume 1.810 1.595 2.500
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Children across all ages performed best on the number conservation task
Results
Experimental Condition
Average Age
Standard One question Fixed Array
5 years 3 months
8.5 7. 3 8.6
6 years 3 months
5.7 4. 3 6.4
7 years 3 months
3.2 2.6 4. 9
8 years 3 months
1.7 1. 3 3. 3
Experimental Condition
Material
Standard
OneQuestion
Fixed Array
Number 1.476 1.024 1.536
Mass 1.512 1.190 1.714
Volume 1.810 1.595 2.500
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Children at all ages and for all materials performed best on the one question condition
Results
1. Children found the one question task easier (they made less errors). This was true of all three types of material.
2. Older performed better than the younger.
3. The children made fewer errors on the number task compared with the other two tasks
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Conclusions
• By altering how the question was asked in the conservation task Samuel and Bryant showed that children younger than 7 can conserve – contradicting Piaget
Evaluation
Strengths
• High controlled – cause and effect
• Counterbalancing – controlled for order effects
• Generalisable – large sample
Weaknesses • Low E.V• Lack of qualitative
data – reasons why children thought the way they did
• Ethnocentric – is not representative of other cultures
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Changes
• Improve the methodology e.g. make it more ecological validity – why is this good/bad?
• Conduct cross culturally – why is this good/bad?
• Conduct it longitudinally – why is this good/bad?
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Implications
• Improved validity/ecological validity – more like real life and less demand characteristics but compromises control
• Conduct cross culturally - Improved generalisability and less ethnocentric but more time consuming
• Conduct it longitudinally - Improved reliability/consistency over time but more time consuming and people may drop out of study
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Answer this question – 5 minutes
1. (a) From the study on conservation by Samuel & Bryant, outline the main differences between the children’s responses to the “one question condition”, compared to the “two question condition” (Piaget’s original design).[2]
1. (b) Suggest one reason for this difference. [2]
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Briefly outline the previous research or event which was the stimulus for Samuel and Bryant’s study. [2]
Samuel & Bryant = Piaget’s research into conservation abilities.
0 marks – No or irrelevant answer.
1 mark – Previous research/event is identified. Description is basic and lacks detail. Some understanding may be evident. Expression is generally poor.
2 marks - Description of previous research/event is accurate. Detail is appropriate and understanding is very good. Fine details may be added. Expression and use of psychological terminology is good.
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Answer this question – 3 minutes
Homework
• See sheet =
– Fill in summary grid– Complete the 2 questions
Give one advantage and one disadvantage of conducting the Samuel and Bryant study in a
laboratory – example for homework
• E.g. • One strength of the method use by Samuel and Bryant is that they
controlled a number of extraneous variables (P). For example Samuel & Bryant controlled for order effects in the tasks by using counterbalancing, where the children did the tasks (mass, number, volume) in different orders. (E) This means that the practice effect (getting better / bored) is affecting each of the tasks equally, rather than only one task (e.g. mass) and this may mean that children get better / worse results on this task. (E)
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Extension Questions
Briefly outline the previous research or event which was the stimulus for Samuel and Bryant’s study. [2]
Samuel & Bryant = Piaget’s research into conservation abilities.
0 marks – No or irrelevant answer.
1 mark – Previous research/event is identified. Description is basic and lacks detail. Some understanding may be evident. Expression is generally poor.
2 marks - Description of previous research/event is accurate. Detail is appropriate and understanding is very good. Fine details may be added. Expression and use of psychological terminology is good.
30
Answer this question – 3 minutes
Describe how the sample in this study was selected and suggest one advantage of using this sample. Samuel and Bryant = 252 boys and girls aged between 5 and 8½ from primary schools in Devon 0 marks – No or irrelevant answer. 1 mark – Only the sample is identified, with little or no elaboration, or more reference to advertising. 2 marks – Description of sample is basic and lacks detail. There is some reference to how the sample was selected. Some understanding may be evident. Expression is generally poor. 3 marks – Description of both the sample and how it was selected is accurate and has elaboration. Understanding is good e.g. numbers, ages, genders, target population.
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Advantage: Samuel and Bryant = Because children of various ages were used, researchers were able to note how conservation skills develop with age.
0 marks - No or irrelevant answer. 1 mark – Peripherally relevant advantage is identified, with little or no elaboration e.g. Samuel & Bryant: showed conservation skills in children.
2 marks – Appropriate advantage chosen. Description of advantage is basic and lacks detail.
3 marks – Appropriate advantage is chosen. Description of advantage is accurate and has elaboration. Advantage supports description of sample.
