Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

This study was designed to test developmental, cross-cultural, and sex differences in the perception of situational causality. Three hundred fifty-nine (359) Ss were divided by grade (third and sixth), culture (United States and Indian), and sex. It was hypothesized that developmental, cross-cultural, and sex differences would be found in the perception of situational causality. Ss were shown a picture depicting a Mother Goose nursery rhyme and were asked what might have caused the action shown in the picture. Responses were categorized as Causal, Phenomenistic, Consequential, Descriptive, or Other. Means were computed for each group and category and hypothesized differences were tested by means of the Student's t test. All cross-cultural differences were significant and developmental differences were found to be significant for United States children but not for children in the Indian culture.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Ausubel, D. P. Theory and problems of child development. New York: Grune & Stratton, Inc., 1958.

Laurendeau, M. , & Pinard, A. Causal thinking in the child. New York: International Universities Press, Inc., 1962.

Michotte, A. The perception of causality. New York: Basic Books, Inc., 1963.

Piaget, J. The child's conception of physical causality. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1930.

Piaget, J. The construction of reality in the child. New York: Basic Books, Inc., 1954.

Piaget, J. The child's conception of physical causality. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, Ltd., 1966.

Torrance, E. P. Understanding the fourth grade slump in creative thinking. U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, 1967.

A Cross-Cultural Study of the Perception of Situational Causality

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References