A Factor-Analytic Investigation of Child Animism

Summary

From a factor analysis of 33 variables on 83 first-grade children an animism factor, involving children's conceptions of life, was identified. Animism was found to be relatively independent of operational thought, Piagetiantype problem solving, and the ability to give causal explanations of physical phenomena. In a second study, a similar animism factor emerged from a factor analysis of 11 variables, Animistic conceptions were unrelated to children's reasoning about various interpersonal situations: i.e., morality, justice, and psychological causality. In addition to an interpretation of the factor involving possible differences in criteria used for life attribution, the specificity of the factor was underscored.