Waubonsee Community College

The child's conception of physical causality, Jean Piaget ; with a new introduction by Jaan Valsiner

eng

Includes bibliographical references and indexes

illustrations

index present

non fiction

The child's conception of physical causality

bibliography

43318725

Jean Piaget ; with a new introduction by Jaan Valsiner

"The Child's Conception of Physical Causality, part of the very beginning of the ground-breaking work of the Swiss naturalist Jean Piaget, is filled with creative experimental ideas for probing the most sophisticated ways of thinking in children. The strength of Piaget's research is evident in this collection of empirical data, systematically organized by tasks that illuminate how things work. In his new introduction, Jaan Valsiner observes that Piaget had no grand theoretical aims, yet the book's simple power cannot be ignored. Piaget's contribution to developmental psychology was his "clinical method"--A tactic that integrated relevant aspects on naturalistic experiment, interview, and observation. Through this systematic inquiry, we gain insight into children's thinking."--Jacket

Explanation of movement. Experiments concerning the nature of air ; The origin of wind and of breath ; Movement of the clouds and the heavenly bodies ; Water currents and movements due to weight ; The child's idea of force -- Prediction and explanation. The floating of boats ; The level of water ; The problem of shadows -- Explanation of machines. The mechanism of bicycles ; The steam-engine ; Trains, motor-cars, and aeroplanes -- The child's conception of reality and causality. Summary and conclusion