The discrepant findings which have been reported during recent years on the order of emergence of identity conservation and equivalence conservation are reviewed. An analysis of the procedural details of the conflicting studies revealed that the discrepant findings are probably the result of a measurement error (judgments-plus-explanations response criteria) and a sampling error (older subject samples) routinely committed in studies reporting that identity and equivalence do not emerge in a fixed order. Some new data from an experiment in which these two errors were controlled provided support for this conclusion. The general consequences of measurement and sampling errors for concept development studies were discussed.
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 1.Q.. 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.
Assessment of 180 college students at three ages, 17–23 years, 37–43 years, and 61–80 years, examined (1) the relative availability of Piagetian formal reasoning concepts, (2) the relationship of these formal reasoning performances to Horn and Cattell’s psychometric theory of general fluid and crystallized intelligence, and (3) developmental patterns among standardized intelligence tests, logical reasoning, immediate memory span, and selected personality or cognitive style measures. Total sample oblique factor rotation yielded 5 factors: (1) general fluid ability with significant loadings for matrices, field independence, and the 9 formal reasoning variables, (2) personality, (3) immediate memory, (4) verbal ability, and (5) internal locus of control. Factor pattern differences found in gender and age group analyses suggested caution in interpreting age main effects. Formal reasoning performances were generally adequate for all individuals including the elderly. Field independence was the best single predictor of formal reasoning which appeared to be more closely related to general fluid than to general crystallized intelligence measures.
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