Identity Conservation and Equivalence Conservation: A Question of Developmental Priority

Goldschmid and Bentler's Concept Assessment Kit-Conservation was modified so that it could be used to assess the conservation of identity as well as the conservation of equivalence. The original and modified versions of the test were then administered to 63 children drawn from kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. Scores were significantly higher on the equivalence version than on the identity version, implying that, for this sample, equivalence preceded identity. This finding, which is totally at variance with the results of previous research, can perhaps be explained in terms of different error rates for the 2 versions of the test. It appears that questions of developmental priority cannot be answered quite as readily as is commonly assumed.