The results of four studies involving three to seven year olds revealed that, by age three, some children (1) appreciated conservation of matter despite visual disappearance and the existence of invisible particles; and (2) made use of the particle concept to explain how a particle can continue to exist and maintain its properties despite visual…

Three studies of preadolescents and college students found that many children and adults failed to give logically correct answers when presented with misleading weight conservation questions. The results show the importance of suggestibility and context. (MDM)

Compares the notion of the conservation or inconservation of information with the laws of conservation of matter and energy. The theory of entropy in physics and its significance in information theory is discussed, and the essential nature of information is considered. (LRW)

Background: Traditional studies of children's mastery of conservation of volume in liquids and solids have reported that conservation of volume in liquids is an easier concept to master than its solid counterpart. However, the two concepts have been assessed in different ways, with the assessment tool for solids employing a more complex process.…

The possible effect of experimenter expectancy in number conservation task experiments was explored. (JMB)

In a longitudinal study conducted in Reykjavik, Iceland, 60 male and 61 female subjects were tested at 7, 8, and 9 years of age in order to investigate their comprehension of three concrete-operational concepts (conservation, class inclusion, and logical multiplication). This report focuses on a logical reconstruction of the developmental sequence…

A modified version of Furth's 13-step conservation of weight problem was administered to 72 legally blind children, 6-14 years of age. A total of 46 of the subjects resided in institutions for the blind, and 26 subjects lived in a family situation. Both the sighted group and the blind group living at home conserved more often than the…

Conservation of weight is known to be achieved at a conceptual level at about 9 years of age. Infant behavior seems to indicate that between 6 and 18 months of age they develop a sensorimotor form of conservation. (Author/RC)

The major objective of this study was to investigate differential performances among 5-year-old children when using transitivity of matching relations. Instruments were constructed to measure the subjects' (1) knowledge of matching relations, (2) ability to conserve the relations, and (3) proficiency in making inferences using the transitive…

This survey reported one phase of a larger project. The goals of the project are to plan and conduct a public education program on energy-related concerns that will produce an informed public, willing to support and cooperate with the strategies necessary for the long-term resolution of our energy problems. Reported in this document are the…

Demonstrates that conservation of amount does not always precede conservation of weight. Subjects were 60 six-year-old children. (BD)

Examines the developmental sequence of skills involved in the understanding of relational concepts and in the development of conservation. Fifty kindergarten children participated in the study. (BD/BR)

Indicates that the evidence in support of an identity-equivalence sequence is much weaker than Brainerd and Hooper claimed. Suggests that for most children, identity and equivalence appear to be contemporaneous developmental achievements. Some general methodological and theoretical issues raised by the identity-equivalence studies are discussed.…