The subject-object division in language acquisition and ego development

Russell, James A.

doi:10.1016/0732-118x(84)90034-5

Cited by 3 publications

References 29 publications

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Progress to conservation: Conflict or correct answer?

1991

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One of the fundamental problems in socio-cognitive conflict theoryconcerns what it is that leads to cognitive growth. Is it conflict per se, i.e. the fact that two contradictory opinions are brought together, or is it the presence of the correct answer which is essential for growth. In this experiment, dyads, functioning on the same cognitive level, were formed and asked to solve a conservation-of-lengtn task. The classification of the children in the pre-test was not done according to Piagetian norms, but according to Flavell's appearance-reality (AR) model: AR non-conservers (AR-NC), AR intermediates (AR-I) and AR conservers (AR-C). Many children who would have been scored as nonconservers in a standard Piagetian task, showed an underlying conservation competence and were classified as AR-I. The results of the interaction suggest that conflict does not lead to appropriate change in AR-NC dyads or AR-I dyads. Furthermore, the results suggest that the most effective method for AR-I to become conservers, is to make them think about a problem and then, to createconsensusby confronting the children with others who have also reached the correct solution.

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