Physical knowledge of sugar water solutions: cross-cultural data

Children's understanding of sugar water solutions may progress through universal stages: from nonpreservation to preservation to liquefaction to atomism. This claim was investigated in the current study; the claim was originally prefigured in the work of Piaget and Inhelder (1974) and more recently consolidated by Slone (1987). Our sample consisted of 270 South African children drawn from three cultural groups and ranging in age from 4 to 14 years. Children watched a demonstration in which a sugar lump was dissolved in water. Then, using structured interviews, we explored their understanding of this phenomenon. The results generally confirmed the hypothesized developmental sequence. Moreover, because the sequence was consistent across cultural groups, the claim that physical knowledge evolves through universal stages also was supported. Perhaps significantly, however, the progression of knowledge development did not unequivocally lead to the concept of atomism. Developmental implications of these findings are discussed.