Décalage effects for heating and cooling: A cross-cultural study

This study investigated a horizontal décalage phenomenon in the development of children's knowledge about heating and cooling. Décalage phenomena have posed a problem to orthodox Piagetian theory and have reinforced the objection by some domain-specific theorists to the central Piagetian notion of overarching structures. The aim of this study was to contribute to this debate by empirical observation of décalage phenomena. A total of 270 children from 3 ethnic groups were tested for their understanding of heating and cooling concepts, using a standard task and a structured interview. Results showed a strong décalage effect: Children used more sophisticated explanations, at earlier ages, for heating than for cooling phenomena. This horizontal décalage was present in a similar form in all three ethnic groups. We argue that the uniformity of the décalage is difficult to reconcile with domain-specific views.