Piaget and Inhelder's Three Mountains Task Overview

Background to Piaget's Study

Piaget's theory of cognitive development posits that young children in the preoperational stage are egocentric; they can only see the world from their own perspective and struggle to understand others' viewpoints. This egocentrism prevents them from recognizing multiple perspectives, which is a critical cognitive skill that develops into the concrete operational stage. The 'three mountains' task was devised by Piaget and Inhelder to explore how children perceive others' points of view.

Aims of the Study

The primary objectives of the study were to assess:

• The ability of children of various ages to adopt the viewpoint of another person.
• The overall capacity of children to integrate multiple perspectives based on what they observe.

Procedure

The study involved 100 children divided into age groups as shown below:

• 4-6.5 years: 21 children
• 6.5-8 years: 30 children
• 8-9.5 years: 33 children
• 9.5-12 years: 16 children

A model of three mountains (1 meter square) was constructed, with each mountain having distinct features (colors, a house, a red cross, etc.). Children were engaged in various tasks where they had to demonstrate what they could see from different angles and what a doll, positioned by the researcher, could see. Tasks included arranging cardboard shapes to reflect the view from different perspectives and choosing pictures representing those views.

Key Features of the Model

• Lowest Mountain: Green with a house.
• Middle Mountain: Brown with a red cross.
• Highest Mountain: Grey, snow-covered, with a winding path and a stream.

Children interacted with the model by positioning the doll and choosing pictures to represent viewpoints, assessing their ability to decenter their perspective and understand others' views.