Conservation as a predictor of individual differences in children's susceptibility to leading questions

Abstract

The relationships between susceptibility to leading questions and several individual differences variables - namely number and mass conservation; self-rated social desirability; and teacher-rated assertive social skills, shyness-anxiousness, and acting out - were examined for 36 first graders. As predicted, children whose conservation skills were more advanced were least susceptible to leading questions. However, there was no reliable direct association with any of the four personality variables assessed. Results were interpreted as evidence that the ability to simultaneously consider multiple dimensions may be one general cognitive factor underlying developmental and individual differences in susceptibility to leading questions.