EGOCENTRISM IN OLDER ADULTS: PIAGET'S THREE MOUNTAINS TASK REVISITED

Abstract

Seventy-seven community-resident volunteers, principally in their fifties and older, were tested on Piaget's three mountains task (Piaget & Inhelder, 1956). There was a significant decrease in performance with age characterized by choosing a picture which was "nearly right," and more notably, a statistically significant rise in egocentric responses. Although the findings further support the argument that Piaget's task is too difficult, forcing errors in non-egocentric participants, the presence of egocentric responses in older adults does not support a simple information processing explanation. Reasons for this are discussed.