RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Cross-cultural Piagetian Research: An Experimental Perspective
JF Harvard Educational Review
JO herp
FD Harvard Educational Press
SP 475
OP 506
DO 10.17763/haer.45.4.kpq1578t13tk0541
VO 45
IS 4
A1 Ashton, Patricia Teague
YR 1975
UL http://harvardeducationalreview.org/content/45/4/475.abstract
AB Over the last twenty-five years children around the world have observed and responded to researchers who pour water from beaker to beaker, roll plasticene into snake-like figures, and arrange matchsticks into a potpourri of shapes. These cross-cultural experiments have been undertaken to test Piaget's theory of genetic epistemology, which posits a hierarchical, universal, and invariant sequence of stages of cognitive development. Piagetian research in varying cultures has revealed both striking similarities and marked differences in performance on cognitive tasks, some in apparent conflict with the basic assumptions of Piagetian stage theory. In this article Professor Ashton reviews a range of cross-cultural Piagetian research, analyzes the sometimes divergent findings from this research, and suggests methodological improvements which may help to resolve past dilemmas and to further future understanding of cognitive growth in different cultures.