Which of the following best describes the concept of "conservation" in child development?

The concept of "conservation" in child development refers specifically to the understanding that certain properties of objects—such as quantity, volume, and mass—remain the same even when their shape or arrangement changes. This cognitive ability is a key milestone in preschool-aged children, usually developed during the concrete operational stage identified by developmental psychologist Jean Piaget.

For example, if you take a ball of clay and flatten it into a pancake shape, a child who has developed conservation will understand that the amount of clay remains unchanged despite the change in shape. This understanding signifies cognitive growth, as it requires children to grasp abstract concepts beyond mere perceptual cues.

Other options like categorization, memorization skills, or sharing behavior are related to different aspects of cognitive and social development but do not specifically capture the essence of conservation, which focuses on the understanding of invariant properties in the face of perceptual alterations.