Conception of Space

Presentation by Sarah Cosgray

Jean PiagetBarbel Inhelder

Jean Piaget(1896-1980)

SwitzerlandFrom age 10 his scientific nature

was apparent.Sought to bridge philosophy and

science.Age 21 doctorate in natural

sciences.“Genetic epistemology”-

philosophical questions concerning the origin of knowledge.

• Children develop independently• Against standardized test and adjusted to

open-ended questioning.• Observed his children: Jacqueline, Lucienne,

Laurent.• Taught that children pass through the four

periods of development in invariant sequence: Sensori-Motor Intelligence, Preoperational Thought, Concrete Operations, Formal Operations.

• Sensori-Motor Intelligence: (birth to 2 years) Babies organize their physical action schemes, such as sucking, grasping, and hitting, for dealing with the immediate world.

• Preoperational Thought: (2 to 7 years) Children learn to think—to use symbols and internal images—but their thinking is unsystematic and illogical. It is very different from that of adults.

• Concrete Operations: (7 to 11 years) Children develop the capacity to think systematically but only when they can refer to concrete objects and activities.

• Formal Operations: (11 to adulthood) Young people develop the capacity to think systematically on a purely abstract and hypothetical plane.

Important terms• Genetic epistemology: combination of the study of the development of

the mind and the origin of knowledge.• Invariant sequence: children move through the stages in the same order.• Assimilation: to take in-or understand something by discovering its

properties.• Active construction process: the building of increasingly differentiated

and comprehensive cognitive structures through independent activities.• Deferred imitation: the imitation of absent models.• Operational Construction: The child’s ability to be aware that they

occupy a space and there are multiple other points of perspective aside from them.

• Topological relations: the relationship between lines and form as they stretch and bend in space.

Piaget says….

• “’Intellectual realism’ is not superseded by ‘visual realism’ until about the age of 8 or 9.”

• Perspective depends on the development of “operational concepts”.

Questions to be answered:

• Will a child who studies a setup of three shapes be able to draw the objects in correct measurement and perspective?

• Will their perception of space within and around the object be accurate from each of the three views of the object, or will it turn out to be more like what they know of the object from previous experience?

• At what age and stage of development will the child be able to correctly draw the shapes in their specific positions?

• Will the child be able to identify each shape?

Hypothesis

• Participants younger than 7 years will not be able to correctly draw the setup since they cannot perceive space and measurement/distance accurately. After the age of 7, children will begin to observe space and measurement/distance in varying degrees; the ellipse, separation and position of objects will be reflected in the drawings. After the age of 12, all proper space and measurement/distance will be observed and reflected in work.

Problems with research

• Participants were distracted by each other and activities they wanted to do.

• Some could not take me seriously…• Some were shorter than others, which changed

their perspectives.• Research data limited to only 8 participants.• Results would have been more meaningful had

the still-life been set up along the edge of a strait-edge table for line comparisons.

Study of drawing of geometrical shapes(Projective lines and perspective)

Child is shown a needle, or stick, thin metal disc for circles, ellipses, semicircles, etc.

Parallel lines meeting in the distance (convergent lines).

Quantification- change of length in object when turned.

Stages of conception of space• Stage I- younger than 4. Absolutely no sense of perspective or shape in

drawings. These drawings are completely lacking in any evidence of developmental progress towards a conception of perspective.

• Stage II- 4-7. Participants were found to fail partially or completely in their attempt to convey perspective in their drawings.

• Substage IIA- Unable to differentiate between the different sizes of objects placed at different distances. Towards the end of this period the child may begin to notice change in size with distance.

• Substage IIB-This result is varied and generally not accurate perspective, but still showing signs of some understanding.

• Stage III- around 7. Ability to compare points of view and draw strait lines.• Substage IIIA- Change of perspective and straight line differentiated from

curve.• Substage IIIB. Differentiation of different perspectives.

Perspective A Perspective B

Perspective C

Paul- 5• Circle• Triangle• Circle

• Paul: “Ohhh I get it. Is that supposed to be like a mouth and eyes? Is it?” (big smile and intense focus on coloring in the shapes).

• By saying this, Paul represents physiognomic perception as taught by Werner.

• Paul: “That’s a bad circle.” He flips the paper over and draws a circle and divides it into four parts and draws each one in.

• STAGE II

A

B

C

Meagan- 6

• Meagan• Circle• Triangle• The cup? I don’t really know what it’s called• SUBSTAGE IIA

A

B

C

Mary Elise- 9

• Cirlcle• Pyramid• Ummmm…we are

learning this in class right now

• Couldn’t remember to use different colors for each; would get frustrated.

• “I wish I could take the ball and put it right there” (points to the right).

• SUBSTAGE IIIA

A

B

C

Joseph- 11

• Sphere• Triangular Prism• “Psh I don’t know”• SUBSTAGE IIIA

A

B

C

Clare- 13

• Circle• Triangle• Cylinder• “Do you want me to draw all the different sides?”• Drawings were misplaced, but Clare reflected the same skill as Therese.• STAGE III

Therese- 15

• Pyramid• Cylinder• Sphere• STAGE III

A

B

C

Emily- 18

• Sphere• Triangular prism• Cylinder• STAGE III

A

B

C

Charles- STAGE II

Conclusion

• Hypothesis was correct: Meagan and Paul (both younger than 7) were unable to accurately portray space, measurement, and straight line.

• Joseph, 11 ¾, was able to do these things, but still struggling. Those older than him were able to properly complete the task.