Parental Consent Form
PSYCH 110 — Principles of Psychology
Capital University Dayton Center
Roberta Hartmann, Instructor
Experimenting with Piaget's Conservation Problems
For the purpose of class instruction as part of an introductory psychology class study on theories of development, the student would like to conduct some simple and harmless exercises with your child.  The tasks your child will be asked to complete are detailed below.  To the best of her/his ability, the student will answer your quesions about Piaget's theory of conservation.  Following the exercises, the student will write a paper that describes your child's reaction to the exercises without explicitly identifing your child by name.

Conservation of Mass
For the first exercise, pour water into two identical clear containers.  Ask the child to tell you to stop when the amounts in each container are the same.   When the child agrees that the amount of water in each container are equal, pour the water from one of the containers into another, very differently shaped clear container.  Ask the child if these two containers contain the same amount of water.  Ask her/him why?  Record the child's response.

Conservation of Weight
For the second exercise, have the child make two balls of playdough that are equal in weight.  When the child has completed this task, take one of the balls and roll it into another shape like a hot dog or a flat pancake.  Without allowing the child to hold the new figures, ask if the playdough forms still weight the same and why.  Record the child's response.

Conservation of Number
For the third exercise, make two rows of objects with an equal number in each row.  When the child agrees that the rows are the same, change the second row by spreading out the objects past the objects in the first row.  Ask the child to tell you if the rows still have the same number of objects or if one row now has more objects and why.  Record the child's response.
 


Parental Consent

I understand the nature and purpose of the three exercises to be performed and agree that allowing my child to participate in this exercise is a voluntary act.

I,                                                           , give my unconditional permission for this

student,                                                   , to work through the above mentioned exercises with my

child,                                                       .

Parent's Signature:                                                         Date:

Student's Signature:                                                       Date:
 

Back to PSY Projects page
Back to PSY 110 Home Page
Page maintained by Roberta Hartmann, M.S.Ed.
Last updated 9/6/00