Nature of intellectual development of Punjabi children

• Published in: International journal of psychology 1978-01, Vol.13 (4), p.281-294
• Main Author: Ghuman, Paul A. S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0020-7594; 1464-066X
• DOI: 10.1080/00207597808246632

This research was planned to probe into the nature of cognitive development of four groups of Punjabi children. Children aged 10 to 11 years, belonging to four sub‐cultural groups (mainly based on caste) were randomly selected from six primary schools. Following our previous research in this field (Ghuman, 1975) two major hypotheses were set up: (1) The professional group (mainly based on high castes) would be significantly better on a range of cognitive tasks than the other three groups; (2) The Harijans (the lowest caste) would be the most field‐dependent group. All the children were tested on a battery of Piagetian tests, a Number test, WISC Block Design and the Coloured Progressive Matrices. The data were analysed by the analysis of variance and t‐test techniques. Both the hypotheses were supported. Children's responses on the Piagetian tests were analysed in greater detail and an attempt is made to relate the performance of the children to their social and educational experiences. RÉSUMÉ Le développement intellectuel d'enfants indiens du Penjab a été étudié dans quatre sous‐groupes culturels différenciés principalement sur base du système de castes. Dérivées des travaux antérieurs de l'auteur, deux hypothèses majeures sont envisagées: (1) les enfants du groupe « professionnel», appartenant surtout à la caste élevée, obtiendront des résultats supérieurs aux trois autres groupes dans une série d'épreuves cognitives; (2) les Harijans, caste la plus basse, formeront le groupe le plus dépendant du champ. Ces deux hypothèses sont confirmées. La discussion accorde une attention particulière aux résultats des épreuves piagetiennes et tente d'établir un rapport entre la performance des enfants et leurs expériences sociales et scolaires.