NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
Back to results
Peer reviewed Peer reviewed
Direct linkDirect link
ERIC Number: EJ1489675
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0300-4430
EISSN: EISSN-1476-8275
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Embodied Action Enhances Conservation Reasoning: Age and Task Effects in Early Childhood
Wenbin Jia1,2; Xianyu Deng3; Jie Yang2; Ran Wang2; Xuanyu Sun2; Erping Xiao1,2
Early Child Development and Care, v195 n9-10 p806-824 2025
This study examined the effect of embodied action on children's conservation reasoning by comparing performance on four classic Piagetian conservation tasks -- length, mass, liquid, and quantity -- under embodied and non-embodied conditions across four age groups. Unlike traditional conservation tasks, which involve passive observation (non-embodied), the embodied condition required children to actively engage through hands-on manipulation, thereby fostering active participation. The study involved 460 children aged 4 to 7 years. Results indicated that children consistently performed significantly better in the embodied condition across all task types. Further analyses revealed that the advantage of embodied participation did not significantly differ across age groups or tasks, although the effect showed a slight, non-significant decline with age. These findings highlight a stable and robust benefit of embodied action in supporting children's understanding of conservation concepts and broader cognitive development. The study offers empirical support for embodied cognition theories and provides practical implications for early childhood education.
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Zhejiang Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory for Research in Early development and Childcare, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Jing Hengyi School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 3College of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China