Transcript Egocentrism: A Case Study

Egocentrism: A Case Study
By Asha Jassani
Jean Piaget
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Born in Switzerland on August 9, 1896.
He published his first paper when he was 10/11 years old on his
sighting of an albino sparrow
Attended the the University of Neuchtel
In 1923, he married one of his student coworkers, Valentine
Chatenay, and had 3 children
He spent one year working at the Ecole de la rue de la
Grange-aux-Belles a boys' institution created by Alfred Binet.
There, he created his standardized test of intelligence and
did his first experimental studies of the growing mind.
In 1955, he created the International Center for Genetic
Epistemology (Institut d'Epistemologie Genetique)
Died in Geneva on September 16, 1980
David Elkind
 Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1931
 Obtained undergraduate degree (1952) and Ph.D (1955) from
UCLA
 Received honorary Doctorate in Science from Rhode Island
College in 1987
 Research assistant to David Rappaport at the Austen Riggs
Center in Massachusetts, where he was first exposed to the
research and theory of Piaget
 National Science Foundation Senior Postdoctoral Fellow at
Piaget's Center for Genetic Epistemology in Geneva,
Switzerland
 Currently a Professor Emeritus at Tufts University
What is Egocentrism?
 To perceive and define the world in
terms of one’s self.
• Cognitive development
 Limited mindset
• Cannot “put myself in your shoes”
• Piaget v. Elkind
 “Three Mountains Problem” - Inhelder &
Piaget
Stages of Egocentrism
 Sensori-motor (birth-2 years)
• Sees objects as existing in the “here and now”
• After 1 year, infant can address the object
outside of it’s physical sense
 “experience of the object” (Elkind)
• Symbolic function acts as foundation for mental growth
 Preoperational (2-7 years)
• Cannot differentiate their own thoughts and the
thoughts of others; always believes that he/she is
correct, “considering everything from their own
single viewpoint” (Cain)
 three Mountains Problem
Stages of Egocentrism
 Concrete Operational (7-11 years)**
• Cannot think abstractly (can only understand
concepts in terms of tangible matters), however,
they can understand others’ perspectives
• “Sally-Anne” Task**
• This is where Piaget believes egocentrism
diminishes
 Formal Operational (beginning at ages 11-15
to adulthood)
• Adolescent egocentrism (Elkind)
 Diminishes around 15/16 years old
Vocabulary
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Adolescent Egocentrism
• self-absorption that marks the teenage search for identity
Imaginary Audience
• adolescents feel they are constantly being watched by their
peers and are the focus of their attention.
• "It is an audience because the young person believes that he or
she will be the focus of attention; and it is imaginary because, in
actual social situations, this is not usually the case (unless he or
she contrives to make it so).” (Elkind)
Personal Fable
• tendency to believe that their experiences and feelings are
unique, and that no one has ever felt or thought as they do.
 Invincibility/Invulnerability Fable
• “That can never happen to me!”
Cognitive conceit
• Tendency to be more confident than correct; smarter than
parents
Vocabulary
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Assumptive Realities
• Assumptions about reality based on limited information; when faced with
the truth, children make it fit into their perspective.
Collective Monologue
• Having a conversation with one another, but within their own
conversations
Animistic
• Giving life to physical objects
• The extent to what children give “life” to changes as they grow*
Moral Heteronomy
• A blind obedience to rules set by elders
• Linked to egocentrism; single-perspective view of the powerful adults
(overcome by 10)
Moral Autonomy
• When rules are followed for the sake of cooperation
Crystallization
• when adolescents use their emerging identities as a source of ideas about
careers
Statement of Problem
 Major Premise: How does egocentrism
play a role in a child’s social life?
 Minor Premise: Does moving around
affect egocentrism?
Hypothesis
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Based on Piaget and Elkind’s theory, I believe I will find the
participants to display egocentrism, in respect to their age. I, too,
predict that the teenager (Nasir) who has moved around more (and
will be visiting the state) will be more sociable and aware of his
surroundings. Furthermore, in addition to being an adolescent
egocentric, I believe that since Nasir is the only male teenager part of
the bride’s family, he will be forced to find male friends to accompany
him (although it was recorded in the Elkind & Bowen research that
adolescent egocentrism is more prevalent in females). Further, I
believe that the siblings will stay closer to one another while the onlychildren will hold a tighter bond with one another.
Critical Questions
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1. Will the younger children be more social than the teenagers?
2. How do the participants in the study interact with people their age?
Older? Younger?
3. Does gender affect the results? Does the older female teenager
seem to be getting rid of her imaginary audience?
4. Is there a difference in the way that the movers act?
5. Do the participants in the study interact with people they already
know, or do they try to make new friends?
6. What are the participants paying attention to during the wedding
ceremony (the ceremony or themselves)?
7. How do the participants react when they are the center of
attention?
8. How does egocentrism play a role in a teen’s/child’s friendships
(morals, attitude, popularity, character changes)?
Pre-Wedding Questions
 1. Do you have a lot of friends that will be coming to
the wedding?
 2. Are you excited for the wedding?
 3. What do you think the wedding will be like?
 4. Do you want to make new friends?
 5. What do you want to do?
 6. How do you feel about the wedding?
 7. Are you happy that the wedding is in Atlanta?
Why/why not?
Post-Wedding Questions
 1. Did you enjoy the wedding?
 2. Did you make any new friends?
 3. Are you happy that you attended the
wedding?
 4. What was your favorite part of the
wedding?
 5. What was your least favorite part of the
wedding?
 6. Are you happy that the wedding was in
Atlanta? Why/why not?
Setting
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Mehndi (Thursday)
Pithi (Friday)
Jamat Khana Ceremony (Saturday)
Reception (Sunday)
Valima (Monday)
Family Lunch (Tuesday)
Inaara
 7
 Mover (Chicago to
Atlanta)
 Preoperational
Stage (see
observations)
Observations
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Stayed close to Arzina
• “No, I mostly was with Arzina.” (P2,Q2)
Car incident
• Ignorant of others’ ideas and perspectives
• Invulnerability Fable
Argument with young boy at Valima
• Didn’t believe that the boy was hurt, even though he was bleeding
“I didn’t even hurt him!”
 “When I scratched the boy. It wasn’t even a big deal but
everyone was mad for no reason. No one cared when you hit
Pinky!” (P2,Q5)
• Shows preoperational thinking
• Animism
Mahreen
 17 years old
 Mover (Chicago to
Atlanta)
 Formal Operational
Stage
Observations
 Stayed isolated/close to family
• “I don’t think so, I really just have a few school
friends, anyways.” (P1,Q1)
 Uncomfortable with mehndi
• “THIS (points to her hand under the table). But
whatever, I had to, you know?” (P2,Q5)
 Moral Autonomy
• Getting dressed up
 Adolescent Egocentrism
• Imaginary audience
• Tries to hide mehndi
Nasir
 13 years old
 Mover (Miami,
Austin, Dallas)
 Out of State
 Only Child
 Formal Operational
Stage
Observations
 Constantly looking to see if anyone is
watching him
• Fixes hair/shirt
• Text messages/Checks phone
 Talks about football
• “It’s a waste of time, I should be practicing …No,
I’m really mad. It’s my break and I’m supposed to
be training for football, too…Whatever, we played
football for a little bit.” (P1,Q2; P1,Q7; P2,Q2)
 Crystallization
Arzina
 “11 and 3/4” years
old
 Only Child
 Concrete
Operational Stage
Observations
 Directions
• Cognitive Conceit
 “Oh, when I danced!!” (P2, Q4)
 Magic Box activities
• Assumptive realities
 Tried to make everything link back to her initial
idea of time
Conclusion
I wasn’t completely correct in my hypothesis.
While the children showed egocentrism, the
children were at borderline ages, so the
factors from the different stages were mixed
up together. Further, I was incorrect in my
hypothesis that the movers would be more
sociable and that the siblings would stick
together. It turned out that Arzina and Inaara,
the younger ones, would interact with one
another and were the more sociable ones.
Limitations
 Small amount of time
 Awkward setting
• Out-of-town
• Reunion
Nature/Nurture line
Nature
Nurture
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