When collaboration leads to regression: Some negative consequences of socio-cognitive conflict

Piagetian scholars have argued that cognitive development is fostered by peer social interaction, brought about by ‘socio-cognitive conflict’ between conserver-non-conserver pairs. The nonconservers often attain conservation after having discussed their different opinions with conserving peers, whereas the conservers do not regress to non conservation. These results are generally taken to indicate the beneficial impact of such peer interaction. In this research, carried out with one sample in the United States and one in the Soviet Union, socio-cognitive conflict was engendered between pairs of 5–7 year-olds who were differentiated by their level of thinking about a mathematical balance beam. Contrary to the results reported by the Piagetians, regression was found to be at least as likely as development. The results are discussed in terms of differences between research in the domain of conservation and research in a related domain in which children's levels of thinking and degree of confidence are not confounded.