Recent studies suggest that Piaget's methods may have led him to underestimate the understanding of number conservation in young children. A particular problem with his methods is that children __________.
A) may change their answers simply because they were asked the same question twice (Does this row have more or less than this row?)
B) easily confuse more and less to mean longer and shorter
C) may forget the question in the time it takes the experimenter to rearrange the items in one row
D) may think that the point of this game is to fool the experimenter by giving the wrong answer

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Piaget's classic conservation experiments involved showing young children two rows of objects that were equal in number and then changing the appearance of one of the rows by spreading it out, squeezing it together, or otherwise altering its shape. He would then ask the child if the two rows still contained the same amount of objects. However, recent research has shown that young children may change their answers simply because they were asked the same question twice, without fully understanding the concept of number conservation. This suggests a flaw in Piaget's method of questioning.

Recent Studies Suggest That Piaget's Methods May Have Led Him