Toward an empirical test of the role of cognitive conflict in learning

Abstract

Piaget's hypothesis that cognitive conflict (disequilibrium) is a precondition for intellectual development was examined and compared to a social learning rule-consistent modeling hypothesis. A study was conducted which manipulated the degree of external social conflict (disagreement) between two adult models about answers to conservation of weight items, assessed internal cognitive conflict, and examined their relationship during acquisition of conservation of weight by 60 preoperational first graders. Rule-consistent modeling involved both models agreeing in their display of a conserving judgment and rationale for each test item. Significant acquisition, transfer, and retention of conservation were found for only those children exposed to the least socially conflicting (but rule-consistent) modeling treatment. Neither of the two measures of cognitive conflict predicted acquisition of conservation. The results were interpreted as supportive of a social learning view of cognitive development.