Question

When we progress to higher levels of cognitive functioning, we do not spend all our time at these higher levels. Piaget once observed that he spent only a fraction of each day on formal operational thought processes. This suggests that even as adults we do not entirely leave preoperational thought behind. For this question, you should describe preoperational thought. Then, examine the scenario listed below and identify the characteristic of preoperational thought that the example illustrates. Explain your reasoning. a. There will be an example here like the example of the older relative dying and you feeling that you are to blame for his/her death. If you study the preoperational period and you can explain the concepts we talked about in class with the preschool literature activity, you should be able to spot a preoperational error in a scenario.

Answer 1

According to Piaget, there are four stages of development, which includes:

• Sensory motor stage (birth-2 years)

• Pre-operational stage (2 years-7 years)

• Concrete operational stage (7 years-11 years)

• Formal operations stage (11 years-16 years)

Pre-operational stage: In this stage, the children’s thought process will be developing. During this stage, the children will be egocentric. They try to animate, symbolize, and are more realism.

Thus, preoperational thoughts include animation, symbolism, realism, and egocentric.

a.

In the given case, blaming oneself for the death of a relative is animation type of characteristic of preoperational thoughts.