The effects of modeling and corrective feedback on the conservation of equalities and inequalities were studied. Both training methods were successful in teaching children to conserve. Trained children were also capable of generalizing their learning to new conservation tasks. (CS)

Twenty first-graders observed an adult model perform a quantity conservation task. The children were then tested on a series of generalization tasks immediately, after one week, and after three months. The results suggested that the social experience of observation appeared to activate a cognitive restructuring of the children's mental operations.…

A comparison of 28 mildly mentally retarded children with 28 children of average intelligence (mean mental age six years) in learning conservation skills found both groups benefited from Direct Instruction methods, but retarded children acquired only pseudoconservation from Observational Learning methods. Their learning was not tenacious and did…

Assessed the authenticity of conservation attainment through an observational learning paradigm. First grade children (N=60) were exposed to either a peer or adult model who was either present or absent during a series of tasks. No correlation was found between social influence and observational acquisition of conservation. (Author/JAC)

Examined was the effect of modeling and observational learning techniques on the number conservation skills of 40 educable mentally retarded persons (6-18 years old). (CL)

Appraises the respective contribution of initial competence and of imitation of modeled response in the observational learning of conservation among first grade children. (HOD)