ABSTRACT
Conceptual change is not always synonymous with cognitive development. For example, children can undergo changes in their thought process that would not normally be considered instances of conceptual change. Moreover, these changes may infl uence concept use in a dramatic manner. In many cases, that dramatic infl uence can easily appear to be true conceptual change, when in fact it is not. Although it can be relatively easy to delineate in principle a large number of different forms of conceptual change, in practice, it often can be diffi cult to know which form is actually occurring. Scholars can disagree quite dramatically on whether they are witnessing a true conceptual revolution or a more pedestrian case of conceptual elaboration, or no real conceptual change at all. Thus, it is important to be clear about patterns of cognitive development so as to better distinguish real instances of conceptual change from developmental changes that merely appear to be conceptual.
