1. Misleading Conservation
A Study of Piagetian Tasks
Robert Gentry

2. Jean Piaget (1896-1980) Born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland
Published his first paper at age 11
Received a Ph.D. in natural science from the University of Neuchâtel.
Married Valentine Châtenay in 1923
Fathered three children, Jacqueline, Lucienne, and Laurent

3. Jean Piaget (cont.)
Taught at the Grange-Aux-Belles street school for boys run by Alfred Binet
Became director of studies at the Rousseau Institute in 1921
Directed the International Bureau of Education from 1929 to 1968.
Created the International Center for Genetic Epistemology in 1955
Published over 50 books and 500 papers
Received honorary doctorates from over 30 Universities including Harvard and Cambridge

4. Conservation
The bridge between preoperational thought and concrete operations
Develops in stages over a period of several years
“The first operatory conservations do not make their appearance until around age seven or eight (substance) and others are added at intervals until the age of twelve (volume).” (Piaget, 1966, p. 47)

5. Misleading Questions
Misleading questions have been shown to affect children’s responses to questions of conservation of weight.
“Results show that children who are beyond the age at which they presumably have mastered concrete operations and, indeed, adults as well, will often give the response suggested by the question, which is literally and logically incorrect.” (Winer & McGlone, 1993, p. 1)

6. Problem Major Premise: Minor Premise:
How does the way in which a question is asked affect a child’s ability to conserve?
Minor Premise:
Can misleading questions make a child less likely to conserve?

7. Hypotheses
Children who are asked misleading questions will be less likely to conserve, and this effect will be more pronounced in more difficult tasks such as conservation of mass and volume.
In accordance with Winer and McGlone’s (1993) findings, girls will be less likely to conserve than boys regardless of the type of question.

8. Participants
Eight students from Mrs. Gentry’s First Grade Class from Kimberlin Academy in Garland, TX
Three boys, five girls
Six and seven years old
Tasks were performed one-on-one with the children in the main hallway of the school
Participants were opportunistically assigned to either the experimental or control group

9. Experimental Group
All children were asked to complete three tasks relating to conservation of number, mass, and volume.
After performing the task: lining up a pile of pennies/ flattening a ball of Play-dough/ pouring water into a larger cup, children were asked a misleading question.
“Which pile of pennies/ lump of Play-dough/ cup of water has more?”

10. Control Group
These children were given the same tasks as those in the experimental group.
After performing the task: lining up a pile of pennies/ flattening a ball of Play-dough/ pouring water into a larger cup, children were asked a control question.
“Are these piles of pennies/ lumps of Play-dough/ cups of water the same?”

11. Non-conserving Responses
Number:
“Because it’s a line and it looks like more.” – Jordan, age 6
Mass:
“Because it was smashed. This one [the ball] has like 100 and the other [the pancake] has like 102.” – Andrea, age 7
Volume:
“If we pour this one in it, it gets more because it’s skinnier and makes it bigger.” – Mercedes, age 6

12. Conserving Responses Number: Mass: Volume:
“I haven’t taken any away.” – Jorge, age 7
Mass:
“It’s just the shape that changed.” – Rachel, age 6
Volume:
“If you pour it in a bigger cup it’s still the same amount.” – Chris, age 7

13. Experimental vs. Control

14. Boys vs. Girls

15. Conclusions The data supports both hypotheses.
The children who were asked misleading questions were less likely to conserve than the control group.
Girls tended to be less likely to conserve than boys.
However. . .

16. Threats to Validity Sample size Environment Question Format
Only eight participants; only three boys
Environment
Time constraints; distractions
Question Format
Control questions may also lead participants’ responses