Which characteristic describes the thinking of children in the Preoperational Stage?

• A. Logical operations
• B. Egocentrism
• C. Conservation of mass
• D. Abstract reasoning

Answer: (B)

In the context of child development, particularly according to Piaget's theory, the Preoperational Stage typically refers to children aged approximately 2 to 7 years. One of the defining characteristics of this stage is egocentrism, which means that children are unable to see things from perspectives other than their own. This cognitive limitation affects their understanding of situations, as they tend to believe that everyone perceives the world the same way they do.

Children in this stage often struggle with taking the viewpoints of others into account, which can lead to misunderstandings in social situations and difficulty in empathizing with others. For example, a child may cover their eyes during a game of hide-and-seek, believing that if they can't see someone, then they can't be seen. This is a classic illustration of egocentrism in preoperational children.

Other characteristics such as logical operations, conservation of mass, and abstract reasoning develop later in the concrete operational stage, which follows the preoperational stage. Therefore, egocentrism is a hallmark of the thinking patterns of children in the Preoperational Stage, distinguishing their cognitive abilities from those exhibited in later stages of development.