Conservation tasks involve asking a child two identical questions. Asking a child a second identical question usually implies that the first answer was incorrect. So it is a sensible strategy on the child’s (and on an adult’s) part to change the answer to this second question.

If there appears to be a good reason for asking the second question, then this demand to change an answer is reduced. See what happens when the task involves a chipped container which provides a reason for asking the second question about whether there is the same amount of rice in different shaped beakers

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Content last updated: 30/01/2007