A training procedure for acquisition of Piaget's conservation of quantity: a pilot study and its replication.

Abstract

Summary. This study represents an initial investigation of the relationship between logical, pre‐requisite operations and Piaget's conservation tasks. The hypothesis considered special training on multiple classification, multiple relations, and reversibility, as a means of inducing conservation acquisition or improvement. Twenty nursery school children between the ages of 4.3 and 5 with I.Qs. over 130 were assigned to training and control groups. Ten of the subjects made up a pilot study and ten constituted a replication sample. All subjects were given four conservation of continuous quantity tasks, i.e., substance, liquid substance, weight, and volume. The training subjects received classification, relationality, and reversibility enrichment experiences in a small group setting. The control subjects had non‐relevant, interpolated activity.Post‐testing shows clear differences between the training and control subjects. Considering the subjects who indicated a complete lack of pre‐test conservation ability, seven of eight Training Group children improved in later performance. No change was shown for seven Control subjects. Significant post‐test differences, were found for substance and weight conservation. In addition, the training subjects' performances indicated a greater awareness of relevant attributes and increased verbal sophistication within the test situation.The failure of previous conservation training attempts is attributed to a lack of concern for the stage‐related, pre‐requisite operations. Direct training on Piagetian tasks may be unnecessary if attention is directed to the logical precursors of specific levels of cognitive development.