Development - Conservation

Question 1

Define conservation

Answer 1

The ability to realise that quantity remains the same even when the appearance changes.
Piaget showed that younger children can’t conserve with number or volume.

Question 2

Aim of McGarrigle and Donaldson‘s study

Answer 2

To see if younger children could conserve if there wasn’t a deliberate change in a row of counters.

Question 3

Method of McGarrigle and Donaldson‘s study

Answer 3

4–6 year olds were shown a naughty teddy and two rows of four counters.
Teddy jumped out of his box and messed up one of the rows (making it look smaller).
Each child was asked before and after the teddy jumped out ‘Is there more in one row or are they both the same number?’

Question 4

Results of McGarrigle and Donaldson‘s study

Answer 4

41% could conserve if the counters were changed intentionally.
68% could conserve if the change was accidental.
Older children gave more correct answers than younger children.

Question 5

Conclusion of McGarrigle and Donaldson‘s study

Answer 5

Shows that Piaget’s method of testing conservation doesn’t show what children can do.
Children aged 4–6 could conserve number when the change was accidental. Piaget believed they could not do this until 7 years.
It does support Piaget’s idea of age-related changes but not the age that conservation develops.

Question 6

Weakness of McGarrigle and Donaldson‘s study (sample)

Answer 6

One weakness is that the primary age children all came from one school.
The primary children might have done better than the nursery children due to differences in educational background.
Therefore, differences between the two groups of children might be due to other factors.

Question 7

Weakness of McGarrigle and Donaldson‘s study (change unnoticed)

Answer 7

Kids may not have noticed the change in the accidental condition.
Moore and Frye showed that, if the teddy did actually take a counter away, they still said the rows were the same.
This means children might’ve been able to conserve they were just distracted.

Question 8

Strength of McGarrigle and Donaldson‘s study (challenges)

Answer 8

It challenges Piaget’s theory.
McGarrigle and Donaldson’s study implies that Piaget’s original work confused young children.
This study helped refine this type of child development research.