PIAGET AND HISTHEORY OF ANIMISM

By Alexandra Bartkus and Caitlin Cahill

CONCEPT MAP:

WHO IS PIAGET?

Born August 9, 1896 in Neuchatel, Switzerland

Began his career at age 10

Received his PhD at the University of Neuchatel.

Paris: studies wrong answers of young boys

1923: married Valentine Chatenay

With whom he had 3 kids: Jacqueline

Lucienne

Laurent

JEAN WILLIAM FRITZ PIAGET

BACKGROUND:PIAGET’S STAGES OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

Sensorimotor (from infancy to 2 years of age)

Pre-Operational (2-7 years old)

Concrete Operational (7-12 years old)

Formal Operational (12 years+)

= Animism

TERMINOLOGY:

Children’s view of the world as alive and feeling.

Animism: Example:

Physiognomic Perception:

Werner’s idea that children react to energetic, emotional, and expressive qualities of objects

o Child Video Exampleo Sound of Music Clip

FOUR PHASES OF ANIMISM

1. Animism associated with all objects (4-6 yrs) Example: A light bulb is alive because it gives

light.

2. Animism associated with any movement (6-8 yrs)

Example: A toy car is alive because it rolls.

3. Animism associated with objects that move on their own accord. (8 years and up)

4. Animism no longer exists in a child when they consider only plants and animals to be alive.

Is animism gradually abandoned within the four stages of animism provided by Piaget, or do children abruptly abandon these animistic perceptions of the world?

THE PREMISE

GUIDING QUESTIONS

Will the questions we have created support Piaget’s method of identifying animism?

Will the children, overall, display a general replication of Piaget’s theory of the four stages of animism?

Will there be distinct stages or will we see transitioning children as well?

HYPOTHESIS:

Animism is a gradually developing process within a child’s cognitive development. Children may individually vary in their beliefs, but the stages outlined by Piaget encompass the majority of children in cognitive development. Therefore, animism is a continual and gradual process that is abandoned over time not abruptly.

METHODOLOGY: PART I

1. Students to be observed will be given the handout.

2. Students will be presented with demonstrations of the following items:

A lamp A balloon A teddy bear A toy car A real potted flower

3. Students will be asked various questions. Refer to the handout.

METHODOLOGY: PART II

1. Have the teacher or principal randomly choose two students (one male and one female) from the class studied.

2. Separately interview the two students on the answers they recorded on their answer sheet.

The study will be conducted on four separate classrooms.

DATA

HOW PIAGET EVALUATED DATA

“Is the sun alive?– Yes.– Why?– It gives light.– Is a candle alive?– Yes because it gives light. It is alive when it is giving light, but it isn’t alive when it is not giving light. . . .Is the play-bell alive?– Yes, it rings.” (Piaget, 1926, p. 196)

“Is a stone alive?– Yes.– Why?– It moves. . . How does it move?– By rolling.– Is the table alive?– No, it can’t move. . . . Is a bicycle alive?– Yes.– Why?– It goes. (p. 196)

Crain, William. (2005). Theories of Development: Concepts and Applications. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

PART I: RUBRIC FOR EVALUATING THE WORKSHEET

Points 0 1 Exception

Description •Belief that the object is “Not Alive”•Belief that the object “Not Feeling”•Belief that the object “Not Knowing”

•Belief that the object is “Alive”•Belief in the object having “Feeling”•Belief in the object “Knowing”

•Belief that the Real Flower is “Alive” = 0 points.

WORKSHEET: RUBRIC FOR TOTAL POINTS

Total Points

12-15 8-11 4-7 0-3

Stage of Animism

1st Stage: Animism associated with all objects

2nd Stage: Animism associated with any movement

3rd Stage: Animism associated with objects that move on their own accord.

4th Stage: Animism no longer exists in a child when they consider only plants and animals to be alive.

Ages that this typically occurs*

4-6 years 6-8 years 8 years and up

* According to Piaget

PART II: RUBRIC FOR EVALUATING INTERVIEW

Points 0 1 2 3

Description Answer reflected that only humans, animals, and plants are alive.

Answer reflected belief that the object was alive because of movement of its own accord.

Answer reflected belief that the object was alive because of movement.

Answer reflected belief that the object was alive because of any activity/consciousness .

INTERVIEW: RUBRIC FOR TOTAL POINTS

Total Points

33-48 17-32 1-16 0

Stage of Animism

1st Stage: Animism associated with all objects

2nd Stage: Animism associated with any movement

3rd Stage: Animism associated with objects that move on their own accord.

4th Stage: Animism no longer exists in a child when they consider only plants and animals to be alive.

Ages that this typically occurs*

4-6 years 6-8 years 8 years and up

* According to Piaget

PIAGET’S STAGES OF ANIMISM: STAGES PER GRADE

STAGES PER GRADE CHART

OVERALL IN EACH STAGE

PART I:

MALE-FEMALE COMPARISON

MALE-FEMALE COMPARISON

PART II: JUSTIFICATION OF RUBRIC

1ST GRADE: Female: Worksheet Score: 2 / Interview Score: 24

1. Q3: Does the Lamp know when the light is on, yes or no? A: “No because it can’t see the light.”  --- Werner: 3

points2. Q8: Is the Car alive, yes or no?  

A: “No, because it can’t move by itself.” --- Piaget: 1 point

3. Q11: Is the Giraffe alive, yes or no? A: “No because he can’t move.” --- Piaget: 2 points 

Male: Worksheet Score: 4 / Interview Score: 151. Q1: Is the Lamp alive, yes or no?

A: “Yes because I was guessing.” --- No points2. Q8: Is the Car alive, yes or no?

A: “No because it doesn’t move.” --- Piaget: 2 Points3. Q12: Does the Giraffe feel anything when I scratch its head, yes or

no? A: “No because it won’t bite.” --- Werner: 3 points

3RD GRADE: Female: Worksheet Score: 0 / Interview Score: 36

1. Q1: Is the Lamp alive, yes or no? A: “No because it can’t move.”  --- Piaget: 2 points

2. Q4: Does the light feel anything when I touch it, yes or no?   A: “No because it didn’t see you touch it.”--- Werner:

3 points3. Q10: Does the Car feel it is moving, yes or no?

A: “No because it doesn’t have hands.”-- Werner: 3 points 

Male: Worksheet Score: 3 / Interview Score: 91. Q2: When the Light is on, is the light alive, yes or no?

A: “Yes because it lights up and looks bright, like the sun.”---Piaget: 3 Points

2. Q7: Does the Balloon feel when I push on it, yes or no? A: “No, because it is just air inside plastic.”--- No points

3. Q10: Does the Car feel it is moving, yes or no? A: “Yes, because it is moving because it has to step on

no wheels.”--- Piaget: 3 Points

5TH GRADE: Female: Worksheet Score: 3 / Interview Score: 9

1. Q1: Is the Lamp alive, yes or no? A: “No because it has no soul. A soul is what makes

you.”  --- No points2. Q3: Does the Lamp know when the light is on, yes or no? 

A: “Yes because my brother has a clap light, it would have to know.”--- Piaget: 3 points

3. Q9: Does the Car know it is moving, yes or no? A: “Yes because it has a motor and would have to

know it’s on.” --- Piaget: 3 points 

Male: Worksheet Score: 2 / Interview Score: 31. Q1: Is the Lamp alive, yes or no?

A: “No because it doesn’t have a mind or a heart.”--- No points

2. Q6: Does the Balloon know I am blowing air into it, yes or no? A: “No because it has no nerves for pressure.”--- No points

3. Q16: Does the Flower Feel when I touch it, yes or no? A: “Yes because it would have feelings because it is

alive.” --- Piaget: 3 points

6TH GRADE: Female: Worksheet Score: 2 / Interview Score: 9

1. Q2: When the Light is on, is the light alive, yes or no? A: “No because it is electricity powered, and I

always think alive as human-like.”  --- Piaget: 3 points2. Q10: Does the Car feel it is moving, yes or no? 

A: “No because it doesn’t have a nervous system.”--- No points

3. Q15: Does the Flower know when the sun is out, yes or no? A: “Yes, if it is alive it can feel what is helping it

grow.”--- Piaget: 3 points 

Male: Worksheet Score: 1 / Interview Score: 01. Q1: Is the Lamp alive, yes or no?

A: “No because it doesn’t have a beating heart.”--- No points

2. Q8: Is the Car alive, yes or no? A: “No. It has a battery, not a heart.”--- No points

3. Q11: Is the Giraffe alive, yes or no? A: “No because the Holy Spirit is not with it.”--- No

points

OVERALL RESULTS

FEMALE RESULTS

MALE RESULTS

GUIDING QUESTIONS: ANSWERED Will the questions we have created support Piaget’s

method of identifying animism?

Yes and No

Will the children, overall, display a general replication of Piaget’s theory of the four stages of animism?

Yes

Will there be distinct stages or will we see transitioning children as well?

Not through the worksheets, but through the interviews– yes.

CONCLUSION:

Hypothesis = correct Animism = gradually developing process ✓

Children may individually vary in their beliefs ✓

The stages outlined by Piaget encompass the majority of children in cognitive development ✓

Animism is a continual and gradual process that is abandoned over time not abruptly. ✓

SOURCES OF ERROR:

First grade class study only consisted of 6 students.

Allowing the teacher/principal to select the students to be interviewed randomly: students were very timid.

Distractions in the interview area.

WAYS TO IMPROVE THIS STUDY:

Include a Preschool class in the study. Create a more effective yet unbiased way of

selecting the students to be interviewed. Use a more controlled environment for the

interviews. Find a more accurate way of objectifying the

subjective.

FURTHER STUDY:

Animistic development comparison between males and females.

Compare Werner’s physiognomic perception to Piaget’s animism based off of the same observations.

Strictly interview-based research. Study based more specifically to age.

NATURE NURTURE LINE

Nature Nurture

Rousseau LockePiaget

Montessori

Vygotsky

Skinner

Bandura

Alex

Caitlin