Patricia is upset because she is convinced that her brother has a bigger piece of cake than she does. Her dad quickly slices Patricia's piece of cake in two and tells her that she now has "more" cake. If Patricia calms down and is convinced that she does have more cake than her brother, it would suggest that she

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Patricia's reaction suggests she does not yet understand conservation, which is the understanding that quantity does not change with the physical appearance of objects. In this case, she thinks she has more cake simply because it is in two pieces, not recognizing that the total amount of cake remains the same.

Patricia Is Upset Because She Is Convinced That Her Brother