A social learning explanation for age-related changes in children's conceptual behavior |
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| Authors: | Barry J Zimmerman |
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| Institution: | City University of New York U.S.A. |
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| Abstract: | A social learning explanation for children's conceptual development is proposed. Recent training research on conservation is discussed, and it is concluded that it fails to support three key assumptions underlying Piaget's theory (a) Children are able to learn to conserve without being “in transition,” (b) nonconservation experiences are successful in promoting developmentally immature cognitive functioning, and (c) there is evidence of inconsistencies in children's cognitive functioning across tasks assessing the same cognitive stage. Two aspects of children's conservation responding are explained according to a social learning position: decalages and the shift from perceptual cues to quantitative cues. This explanation involves consideration of cognitive factors such as prior rule learning as well as impinging social experience. |
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| Keywords: | Address requests for reprints to Barry J Zimmerman The Graduate School and University Center City University of New York 33 West 42nd Street New York NY 10036 |
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