The Development of Relational Terms in Different Concept Areas

The development of the comprehension of relational terms “more,” “less,” and “same” were investigated for a broad range of concept areas commonly used in conservation and seriation research: number, weight, proportion, volume, length, area, distance, and substance. Ss were 192 Dutch children from kindergarten divided into three age levels; mean ages, respectively, 54, 62, and 72 months. The results showed ceiling effects in all concept areas except volume for age levels 2 and 3. The asymmetry phenomenon (i.e., “more” is easier than “less”) was not evident in kindergarten age level 1. No clear sequence of mastering was observed for either the terms “more” and “same” or the terms “less” and “same” in the majority of the concept areas. Analysis of the incorrect responses did not reveal the synonymity phenomenon (i.e., “less” was interpreted as “more”). However, another synonymity phenomenon was observed: “more” and “less” were interpreted as “same,” and “same” was interpreted as “more.” This is a noteworthy finding because it cannot be attributed only to guessing since multiple-choice tasks were used.