Age of child: 7 years, 2 months, 11 days

Observation:
Task 1: I took two same containers and
poured equal amounts of water in
both.

I asked: is the water level equal in both

the containers or does one have more
than the other does?

She: it’s the same.

I then put a paperweight in one of the

containers with the water.

I asked: is the water level now same, or

is one more than the other is?

She: this one has more (pointing at the

container with the paperweight).

I: why do you think so?

She: because you put the paperweight

and then the water level rose, I can see its more.

Task 2: Again, I took two same

containers with equal levels of
water.

I asked: Is the water level same in

both the containers?

She: Yes, it’s the same.

I then poured the water of one of the

containers into a narrower, longer
container.

I: is the water equal in both the

containers or does one have more
than the other does?

She: this one has more (pointing at

the longer one). Or no, it’s equal
because you just poured the water
from this container, and it was equal
to one in the other container.

I: what made you think at first that the longer one has more water?

She: because the water level is higher in this one but the amount is same in actual since you just
poured it from this container.
 Age of child: 7 years, 2 months, 11 days

Task 3: I made two rows of five coins put at equal distance.

I asked: are there same number of coins in each row, or does one row have more than the other
does?

She: they’re both the same.

I distanced the coins in one of the rows.

I then asked: now are there same number

of coins in both the rows, or does one
have more than the other did?

She: They’re the same.

I: Why? This row is longer; don’t you think

this would have more (pointing at the
longer row)?

She: no, there is equal number in both

the rows; you’ve just put them apart from
each other.

I then put four coins in one row and five in

the other, and arranged them in a way
that both the rows’ length was equal.

I asked: are there equal coins in both the

rows or does one have more than the
other does?

She: this row has more coins (pointing at

the row with five coins) and this one has
less (pointing at the row with four coins).

I: why do you think so? Both the rows are of the same size.

She started counting and said: this row has four coins while this one has five, so this is the one with
more coins.
 Age of child: 7 years, 2 months, 11 days

Analysis:
The child appears to be in her Concrete Operational stage as per Jean Paiget’s Stages of Cognitive
Development.

In the first case she was unable to figure out that the level of water has been conserved since I did
not add or lessen the water; but as she saw the water level rise due to a solid being placed inside,
she thought the amount of water has increased. From this, we may assert that she would be at her
initial stage of developing Concrete Operation.

As we progressed onto the second case, she understood that the water level would remain same
irrespective of the size and shape of container if no addition or subtraction were being done to the
amount/quantity of water. And so, as I poured the water into a narrower, longer container in front
of her, she was able to manipulate that the water will conserve its quantity. Thus, we may say that
she developed the Principle of Conservatism.

As we approached the third case, she had understood the pattern and so she knew that the quantity
will remain same as long as it is not increased or decreased, and that the quantity is not determined
by length or size, rather by the amount. Therefore, even upon changing the pattern a bit (not
keeping equal number of coins, but having equal length of the row), she figured out the row which
had more coins.

By her age, i.e. at 7 years of age, as per Piaget, children are in their Operational Stage. And so was
she, since she was able to grasp transformation and understand conservatism. Had she not realised
the water’s property of remaining equal when transferred from one container to the other, or had
not figured out that the number of coins remained same, irrespective of the distance or their
arrangement, we could have said that the child is still at her Preoperational Stage unlike Piaget’s
predicament. However, she conforms to Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development.