Nicole is shown two rows of eight chips. In one row the chips are spread far apart. In the other row, the chips are closer together. If Nicole is in Piaget's preoperational stage, how would she respond if asked which row has more chips?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

At the preoperational stage, children have difficulty with conservation, which means they are unable to understand that the number of chips remains the same regardless of the arrangement. Nicole would focus on the appearance of the chips rather than the actual number, and she would be more likely to judge the spread-out row as having more chips because it takes up more space.

Nicole Is Shown Two Rows of Eight Chips