1. Piaget and the Study of Animism
10/28/2017
Piaget and the Study of Animism
Presented by:
Margaret Boyd
Colby Madrigal 1 1

2. Jean Piaget Born in Neuchâtel,Switzerland on August 9th, 1896.
10/28/2017
Jean Piaget
Born in Neuchâtel,Switzerland on August 9th, 1896.
Known for being the pioneer for studies involving child development, beginning in the 1920s
Developed the theory of Cognitive Development
Director of the International Bureau of Education
Created the International Center for Genetic Epistemology in Geneva in 1955
Died September 16th, 1980 in Geneva, Switzerland 2 2

3. Preoperational Thought
2 to 7 years old
Language Development is a hallmark of this period
Children at this stage do not yet understand concrete logic, cannot mentally manipulate information and are egocentric (unable to see from the perspectives of others).
During this stage, children become increasingly adept at using symbols (usually evidenced by more playing activity)
In this stage, children have not yet developed the concept of conservation (that objects can change in appearance while still maintaining their properties).

4. Concrete Operational Thought
7 to 11 years old
During this stage, children gain better understanding of mental operations; they begin to think logically about concrete concepts, but still struggle with abstract ideas.
Egocentrism vanishes
Children grasp that when the appearance of an object changes, the properties of the object do not change.

5. Animism
Piaget noticed that children are inclined to view more objects as “alive” than are adults.
Became interested in what they thought life was.
From 4-6, children associated life with activity, such as a candle emitting light. (Preoperational Thought)
From 6-8, children associated life with capacity for movement, rather than activity. (Preoperational Thought and Concrete Operational Thought)
After 8, children only perceive objects which move on their own as alive. Soon after this (Piaget does not specify when), children restrict life to plants and animals. (Concrete Operational Thought)

6. Piaget’s Procedure vs Our Procedure
Colby & Meg
Asked children in each age group a non- uniform series of questions
Asked “Is X alive?” and “Why/why not?”
Asked children a uniform series of 10 questions (drawn from the many questions Piaget asked)
Asked “Is X alive?” and “Why/why not?”
Showed children clips from Disney movies and then, repeated questions.

7. Our Goals
Wanted to see if study conducted in the 1920’s would have different results if repeated today.
Children today are exposed to entertainment media that frequently features anthropomorphized objects and animals. Does this affect the concepts of life that children develop?
Wanted to repeat Piaget’s study with uniform questions to compare the results more easily
Were keeping an eye out for answers that equated life with activity, movement, unassisted movement, and with plants and animals. Particular attention paid to whether or not the children progressed through these concepts the way Piaget said they would.

8. What We Looked For: Equation of life with activity
Equation of life with capacity for movement
Equation of life with capacity for movement on an object’s own power
Patterns of answers that Piaget did not predict (Equation of life with “other”)
Differences and similarities in the progression of animistic thought in our findings vs. in Piaget’s findings

9. Participant Pool
Participants drawn from a small, faith-based school in Texas.
2323 Cheyenne St., Irving, TX, 75062
Participants were from Kindergarten, 2nd Grade, and 5th Grade. (Note: We intended to take 4th Grade participants, but the school lost the consent forms for the parents).
We sent out consent forms for the parents to sign. Those children whose parents gave permission signed assent forms that stated that the children could stop the study any time they wished and that there would be no negative consequences for participating.
The children were shown three animated movie clips: “Be Our Guest” from Beauty and the Beast, “Just Around the River Bend” from Pochahontes, and “Everybody Wants to be a Cat” from the Aristocats. All of the children were allowed to watch the clips, but only half of the students were asked the questions again.

10. Participants
Participants were drawn from Kindergarten, 2nd Grade and 5th Grade.
Kindergarten: Four students total. Two boys and two girls
2nd Grade: Five students total. Three boys and two girls.
5th Grade: Eight students total. Four boys and four girls.
Each student was assigned a number for identification purposes (their genders and ages were recorded as well). Their names were not recorded for confidentiality purposes. Randomization to assign students the control group or the experimental group was done by putting the assent forms face down and selecting half (keeping in mind that we did ensure that there were an equal number of boys and girls in each group when possible).
The students in the experimental group were asked the questions a second time after the movie clips were shown. Those in the control group returned to their classrooms.

11. Piaget Questions Are you alive? Why or why not?
What is a living thing?
Is a candle alive? Why or why not?
Is a bicycle alive? Why or why not?
Is poison alive? Why or why not?
Is a cloud alive? Why or why not?
Is a stone alive? Why or why not?
Is a cat alive? Why or why not?
Is a table alive? Why or why not?
Is a river alive? Why or why not?

12. Types of Answers Red = Human/Anatomy Yellow = Movement
Green = Unassisted Movement
Orange = Activity
Black = Origin/Religious
Purple = Mentions Disney

13. Experimental- Kindergarten
Student #2 (Female, Age 5)
Student #3 (Male, Age 6)
Yes; We can move
Animal; They have babies
No; It has fire
No; It stays still when the wheels roll
No; It makes people die
No; It floats above the water in the sky
No; It’s hard
Yes; It’s an animal, all animals are alive
No; It always stays still
No; It floats up and down and it has water in it
Yes; Because I haven’t died yet
It’s a house full of living things; Because they have a home
Yes; Because it has fire at the top
No; It has rules and it can’t fit in the car
Nope; Because it kills ants
Yes; Because it flies
No; It just sits
Yes; Because it walks
No; Because it just sits
Yes; Because it moves
Student # 2 (Female, Age 5)
Student #3 (Male, Age 6)
1) Are you alive? Why or why not?
2) What is a living thing?
3) Is a candle alive? Why or why not?
4) Is a bicycle alive? Why or why not?
5) Is poison alive? Why or why not?
6) Is a cloud alive? Why or why not?
7) Is a stone alive? Why or why not?
8) Is a cat alive? Why or why not?
9) Is a table alive? Why or why not?
10) Is a river alive? Why or why not?
Yes; Because me is me
Cheetah; It has legs and can run really fast
No; It has fire
No; Anybody can sit on it and it has wheels
No; It can kill people
No; It’s above the water in the sky
No; It’s hard, it’s not alive and you can’t make it alive
Yes; It lives and it sleeps all the time and it has legs
No; It’s hard and you can see on it
No; It has water that goes up and down
Yes; Because my heart- I haven’t died yet
It’s all full of things
Yes; Because it has fire at the top
Yes; Because it rolls
No; Because it kills all kinds of insects
Yes; Because it is up in the air
No; Because it sits
Yes; Because it walks
Yes; Because it moves

14. Experimental 2nd Grade Student #5 (Male, Age 7)
Student #6 (Female, age 7)
Yes; I have a heart
Animal; When it runs around, it’s alive
No; It just has flames on it
No; When you peddle it, it moves
Don’t know; When you touch it, it goes into your body and moves and its on a plant
No; It moves around in the air, it you go through it it's just a cloud
No, I mean yes; It stays in one place
Yes; I have five cats, they run around
No; It stays in one place and you eat off of it
No; It’s just water
Animal; It runs around
No; It has flames of fire on it and it stays on a cake
No; You just ride on it
No; It just flows through your body if you touch it
No; When you go through it, it’s still a cloud
No; It just stays in one place
Yes; A cat has a heart
No; It just flows
Student #5 (Male, Age 7)
Student #6 (Female, Age 7)
Yes; Are we back to this, oh come on, please, because I have a heart
Not a lunchbox, an animal; Eats, runs, not laying on the floor dead
No; It has fire on top
No; You have to push the peddles to make it move
Don’t know; If you touch it, it goes through your body
No; It moves in the air, nothing can fly but birds
No; It stays in one place
Yes; It moves and eats
No; You can just eat on it
No; It just have water going through it
Yes; I have a heart and because I have air
Animal; It has air and a heart, but a human can’t be an animal
No, yes, no; All it does is stand in the same place, can use it for light
No; It doesn’t move, it stands in the same place, but if you ride it, it moves
No; It can hurt you and it flows through you
No; If you go through it, it’s still alive (?)
No; It just stays in the same place
Yes; It has air and a heart
No; It stays in the same place
No; It just flows
Experimental 2nd Grade
1) Are you alive? Why or why not?
2) What is a living thing?
3) Is a candle alive? Why or why not?
4) Is a bicycle alive? Why or why not?
5) Is poison alive? Why or why not?
6) Is a cloud alive? Why or why not?
7) Is a stone alive? Why or why not?
8) Is a cat alive? Why or why not?
9) Is a table alive? Why or why not?
10) Is a river alive? Why or why not?

15. Experimental- 5th Grade
Student #11 (Female, Age 11)
Student #12 (Female, Age 10)
Yes; I’m moving and breathing
Frog; Something that breathes and moves
No; It’s not breathing
No; It doesn’t move
No; It doesn’t breathe
Yes; It breathes and moves
Yes; Because of my mom
Animals; Because God made me
No; they just light stuff
No; They only ride
Yes; It will hurt you
Yes; They’re in the sky and they make wind and rain
No; It just stays there and doesn’t move
Yes; It’s an animal that you take care of and it loves you
No; It’s only for you to write and study on
Yes; It has water and it moves
Student #13 (Female, Age 11)
Student #15 (Male, Age 10)
1) Yes; I have a heart, blood through my veins and brain, I can move and speak
2. Friends; Something that can breathe, react and has a brain and can survive
3. No; It doesn't have anything to move, can't produce food, no brain, man-made
4. No; It's not made of living matter, no blood vessels, no brain
5. No; it was produced, could be by plants or animals, but it's not living, it has no will
6.No; made of water, it is not alive
7. No; Stone was dirt, dirt was never living, could've been remains of thing that was once living
8. Yes; Made of living matter, will of its own, can communicate, has blood vessels
9. No; Man-made, if made of wood, it was once alive, tree was cut to become a table
10. No; Made of water, but it contains things that are alive, the things that make a river their home are alive
1) Yes; I have intestines, a heart, a brain and I can move
2) Person; things that's alive breathe
3) No; it's only wax, to light need oil and gas
4) No; it's metal and wheels
5) No; doesn't move, it has to be poured on something, kills other living things
6) No; it's just water from the ocean that goes to the sky and turns into gas
7) No; doesn't have anything else, it's itself
8) Yes; make noises, moves and eats
9) No; it's just wood, wood is a tree, I have trouble thinking a tree if alive
10) No; it's just when icebergs pass it leaves a river, just dirt and stones.
Experimental- 5th Grade
1) Are you alive? Why or why not?
2) What is a living thing?
3) Is a candle alive? Why or why not?
4) Is a bicycle alive? Why or why not?
5) Is poison alive? Why or why not?
6) Is a cloud alive? Why or why not?
7) Is a stone alive? Why or why not?
8) Is a cat alive? Why or why not?
9) Is a table alive? Why or why not?
10) Is a river alive? Why or why not?

16. 2nd Round- 5th Grade Student #11 (Female, Age 11)
1) Yes; I move and breathe
2) Person; something that can move
3) Yes; it moves, the flame moves
4) No; it doesn't move by itself, someone has to ride it
5) Yes; it moves through your body
6) No; the earth moves it, not the cloud
7) No; it doesn't breathe or move
8) Yes; it breathes and moves, they interact with each other
9) No; it doesn't move
10) Yes; it moves when the water moves
1) Yes; because God created me
2) Animals; they walk and eat stuff
3) No; doesn't move, only gives light to the room
4) No; you can only ride it
5) Yes; it can poison and hurt you
6) Yes; it creates rain to fall from the sky, gives us wind
7) No; it stays there, can't move by itself
8) Yes; it can move and it's a pet
9) No; it stands still unless you move it somewhere else
10) Yes; it has water, it goes and comes
Student #13 (Male, Age 11)
Student #15 (Male, Age 10)
1) Yes; I can breathe, walk, think, I have a will, I can make decisions and move
2) Family, friends, pets; it can see, breath, produces, consume, think and has a will
3) No; just in Disney movies, no brain, blood vessels, organs and cant produce or consume, it's man-made and made of wax
4) No; it has no brain, no will, can't think, and its a solid matter
5) No; may come from something that was alive but not itself alive
6) No; just water that has risen to the sky and forms humidity
7) No; may have been if fossil, it's dirt with bits of material overtime forming solid matter
8) Yes; has thinking ability, ability to communicate and move, has organs, blood vessels, produce and consume. Has a will
9) No; if made of wood, it was once alive because it was a tree, now not alive, made into a table
10) No; things making the river its home are alive, the liquid itself isn't
1) Yes; I breathe, walk, have organs, intestines and blood, lots more to come
2) Person or thing; something that breathes
3) No; it's just wax and string
4) No; it only has metal and rubber
5) No; doesn't breathe or move by itself, it kills living things
6) No; just water going up to the atmosphere and turning into air
7) No; doesn't breathe or have organs
8) Yes; it moves, breathes and has organs, it makes noises
9) No; it's made up of wood, glass or metal
10) No; it's dirt and stone carved into flowing water, leads to ocean
2nd Round- 5th Grade
1) Are you alive? Why or why not?
2) What is a living thing?
3) Is a candle alive? Why or why not?
4) Is a bicycle alive? Why or why not?
5) Is poison alive? Why or why not?
6) Is a cloud alive? Why or why not?
7) Is a stone alive? Why or why not?
8) Is a cat alive? Why or why not?
9) Is a table alive? Why or why not?
10) Is a river alive? Why or why not?

17. Results Kindergarten Activity 4/60 Movement 12/60
Unassisted movement 2/60
Human qualities 4/60
”Because it’s an animal/plant” 1/60
Religious/Origin 1/60
Other 36/60

18. Results 2nd Grade Activity 14/80 Movement 16/80
Unassisted movement 8/80
Human qualities 25/80
“Because it’s an animal/plant” 1/80
Other

19. 5th Grade 5th Grade Activity 5/120 Movement 34/120
Origin/Religious 10/120
Human-like (Anatomical) 48/120
Reference to substance/scientific makeup 26/120

20. Conclusions
Kindergarteners: Cannot be put in a clear, single stage of animistic thought. Exhibited different animistic logic for different objects.
2nd Graders: Often, their answers were with regard to human qualities and human anatomy. (Ex: “No. It has a lot of water and we don’t have that much” or “No. Because it doesn’t have blood or bones.” Evidence of concrete operational thought (as they used a specific idea to characterize life) or egocentrism.
5th Graders: Cannot be put in a clear, single stage of animistic thought, but did very frequently reference human/anatomical qualities, the substance of the object in question and movement. Referenced origin more than the 2nd graders or kindergartners, but still not especially often.

21. THE COHERENCY ISSUE
Piaget’s participants offer coherent, short, and even poetic answers. One offered that a candle “is alive when it is giving light, but it isn’t alive when it is not giving light.” We found that many of our participants, especially the younger ones, did not give answers like this. For example, one student supplied that a candle is alive, “Because it has eyes.” Another explained that a cat was alive, because “legs” (not because of legs: simply, because “legs”). A particularly interesting answer protested that a living thing was “[a] house full of things.”
First, often the answers were not easy to categorize, particularly not into Piaget’s categories. Second, the difference between the coherency of Piaget’s participants and our participants was noteworthy. Since he did not use uniform questions, he may have prompted the children until they gave desirably formatted answers. On the other hand, there may be a difference in how children today and children in the 1920s communicate, which would be worth pursuing.

22. Our Thoughts
Piaget stated that children ages 4-6 associate life with activity, children 6-8 with movement, and children over 8 with unassisted movement at first, and later, with animals and plants. The children we interviewed overlapped in these ways of thinking at every age and did not stay in a distinct mode of thought. Furthermore, they exhibited even more associations (with humans, origin, and substance) than Piaget suggested that they would. Whether this is due to the children receiving a particular kind of education or differences between the 1920s and modern day remains to be seen.
The children did not change their answers after watching the Disney movies. We found no evidence that the clips affected the children. However, many had seen the movies prior to the experiment and some participants referenced said movies before we showed them in their answers. We suspect entertainment media has an effect on animistic perception, but we did not garner any information on it from this experiment.

23. Possible Errors
The structure of the room prevented the total separation of the children; it was not possible to interview them entirely alone. As a result, the children could hear each others answers, even when the interviewer took the interviewee to a different table. The children imitated each others’ answers.
The kindergartners were distracted by people walking by, the other students in the room and by anything outside.
The second graders were influenced by one another, were distracted by things on the walls, and vocally indicated that they felt the questions were beneath them, funny or annoying.
The fifth graders had to take a Spanish test after the movie clips were shown, leaving a window of two hours between the clips and the second round of questions.

24. Citations
Crain, William C. "Chapter 6: Piaget's Cognitive- Developmental Theory."Theories of Development: Concepts and Applications. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, Print.