Precausal and Paracausal Thinking: Concepts of Causality in Aboriginal Children

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Abstract
This paper is the outcome of fieldwork carried out in Arnhem Land during 1968. After a brief introduction to Piaget's theory of the development of causal thinking, the manifestations of pre-causality are described. Using a standard questionnaire developed by Canadian workers, the author has examined in English 21 transitional Aboriginal children, aged from 11 to 12 years, with regard to their concepts of the dream process, the nature of life, the origin of night and the movement of clouds. Criteria for the rating of the level of concept development are described and the performance of the children has been scored accordingly. This is compared with norms for Canadian children. Important and markedly significant differences emerge, particularly in concepts of the nature of life and the origin of night. To eliminate the possibility of language bias, a number of the children were examined in the vernacular. Their performances did not change significantly. Possible reasons for the marked differences between Aboriginal and western children are discussed. The evidence suggests that a relative lack of verbal and material stimulation in critical pre-school years is the most significant factor. The paper ends with a consideration of the ethnocentrism implicit in studies of this nature, and examples are given of the complex modes of thinking found in adult Aborigines.

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