Assignment #2

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For Assignment #2, you may choose one of the following activities, either the “Illustration of Piagetian Concepts in Preschoolers” or the “Adolescent Egocentrism—Fact or Fiction?” assignment. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO BOTH, ONLY ONE. You are more than welcome to do both assignments; however, you will only receive a grade for the one you turn in. Please use 12-pt Times New Roman font, double spaced, APA format to complete the assignment and provide a reference page for any sources you use.

Illustration of Piagetian Concepts in Preschoolers

This activity expands your understanding of preschoolers’ cognitive abilities. If you have a child of your own or a friend or family member with a small child who is willing to allow you to interview their child, you have the task of asking a child (2 years to 7 years old) the following questions. DO NOT RANDOMLY TALK TO A CHILD WITHOUT EXPLICIT PERMISSION OF THEIR PARENT. With permission of the parent, you may video record your interview and submit it along with your report. For those who do not record the interview, please provide a transcript of the interview along with your report (for interviews conducted in Spanish, please translate in to English before you submit).

Children are sometimes shy and not responsive to questions. If this is the case, you may have to find a different child to interview so that you can complete the assignment. Also, feel free to ask the child follow up questions and/or add additional questions to the list below. If you are feeling adventurous, you can even test conservation with each child (see video in powerpoint).

In a written report (3 pages), describe the interview and the child’s answers in regard to the typical limitations of preoperational thinking, such as egocentrism, animism, irreversibility, and artificialism.

• How old are you?

• How did you learn to talk?

• Where does the sun go at night?

• Why is the sky blue?

• Why do dogs bark?

• Why does it rain?

• Where do babies come from?

• Who are you going to be when you grow up?

• Why do you eat breakfast in the morning instead of at night?

• Why do you have toes?

• Why are you ticklish?

• How do birds fly?

• What is your favorite toy?

Adolescent Egocentrism—Fact or Fiction?

This assignment focuses on adolescent egocentrism. You will read the following articles listed below (these resources challenge Elkind’s perspective on adolescent egocentrism). Then you will review the empirical literature regarding adolescent egocentrism and to form your own conclusion regarding this “phenomenon.” Do you believe that adolescent egocentrism exists as proposed by Elkind? Did you find any empirical support for these constructs? Are the measures used to evaluate adolescent egocentrism valid? In a written report (3 pages), You should construct an argument that articulates your conclusion (i.e., do you agree or disagree with Elkind?).

Sources:

Bell, J. H., & Bromnick, R. D. (2003). The social reality of the imaginary audience: A ground theory approach. Adolescence, 38(150), 205–219.

Vartanian, L. R. (2000). Revisiting the imaginary audience and personal fable constructs of adolescent egocentrism: A conceptual review. Adolescence, 35(140), 639–661.