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THE OTHER OBSERVER IN A PERSPECTIVES TASK
Author(s) -
COX M. V.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
british journal of educational psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.557
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 2044-8279
pISSN - 0007-0998
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8279.1975.tb02301.x
Subject(s) - egocentrism , psychology , observer (physics) , task (project management) , centration , social psychology , developmental psychology , cognitive psychology , physics , management , quantum mechanics , economics
S ummary . In Piaget and Inhelder's ‘three‐mountains’ task a doll is used as ‘the other observer.’ The present experiment was conducted to investigate whether children's performance in this perspectives task would be improved if the observer was a person. Two matched groups of 20 children (mean age 6:10) were asked to select the views of another observer from a number of vantage points. A doll was used as the observer for one group and the experimenter for the other. In the experimenter group the mean correct response score was significantly higher and the mean egocentrism score significantly lower than in the doll group. This result suggests that egocentrism is not necessarily a fundamental characteristic of the young child's thinking but may result from, or be increased by, experimental design.