Ferrets and Piaget?  Now that is a stretch.  Maybe something about
"conservation of raisins" or "the ferretone disappearing under the blanket."
(Psych ed students will know what I mean.)
 
Alphachi mentioned that "Piaget constructed an entire theory on the dynamics
of human development based on the observation of his own children.
Overtime, most of his findings have withstood with little or no modification
despite countless attempts to do so through other numerous and scientific
means.  Just dumb luck?  Or did he wisely use the aforementioned
cornerstones to fruition?  Perhaps you mistakenly consider Piaget a Luddite
also.  While EL's observations are far from accepted fact, I am willing to
listen."
 
Piaget's theories of child development were gospel in the 70s when I first
learned them in college.  Now that I am in graduate school in the 90s, I am
shocked to discover that much of Piaget's theories are being debunked.
Piaget based his theories not just on his own children, but on WHITE UPPER
CLASS EUROPEAN children.  He assumed that these children represented the
epitome of social accomplishment.  He assigned a hierarchechal standard for
development that implied that "lower" levels are not as "good" as "higher"
levels.  Psychologists now point out that children in other cultures develop
differently, based on their own societies, and that their development is not
of a lesser intellectual quality.  For example, American standardized
testing of school children has long valued speed.  Yet many African cultures
value careful, slow consideration and reasoning before giving an answer.
Piaget stresses such developmental milestones as eye contact and smiling.
Yet many Asian cultures do not model or encourage eye contact and smiling
between children and adults because they feel it is not respectful.  These
are but a few examples of how Piaget's theories, which are still valuable,
are being carefully re-considered.
 
How does this apply to ferrets?  I'm not sure.  But since you are using
Piaget to bolster your side of the discussion, I thought you should know
that Piaget is no longer unchallenged.
 
Kat
[Posted in FML issue 2269]