Gretchen watches as her preschool teacher forms two identical balls of modeling clay. The teacher gives one of the balls of modeling clay to Gretchen, and then squashes the remaining ball into a flat pancake. She asks Gretchen if they both have the same amount of clay, and Gretchen confidently states that the teacher has more because the pancake is wider than the ball. What thinking flaw does this example illustrate?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This example illustrates the thinking flaw of centration, which is the tendency to focus only on one aspect of a situation and ignore other important aspects. In this case, Gretchen is only considering the width of the clay rather than the volume, which is the important factor for determining if the amount of clay has been conserved.

Gretchen Watches as Her Preschool Teacher Forms Two Identical Balls