According to Piaget's Cognitive Developmental Theory, which of the following best describes the concrete operational stage?

• A. Children are able to think abstractly and reason about hypothetical situations.
• B. Children rely primarily on sensory experiences and motor activities to understand the world.
• C. Children are unable to understand the concept of object permanence.
• D. Children begin to think logically about concrete events and understand concepts such as conservation and reversibility.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand that Piaget's Cognitive Developmental Theory divides cognitive development into distinct stages, each characterized by different abilities in thinking and reasoning.
2. Step 2: Identify the concrete operational stage as the third stage, typically occurring between ages 7 and 11, where children develop logical thinking about concrete events.
3. Step 3: Recognize that during this stage, children gain the ability to understand concepts such as conservation (the idea that quantity remains the same despite changes in shape or appearance) and reversibility (the understanding that objects can be changed and then returned to their original state).
4. Step 4: Differentiate the concrete operational stage from other stages: the preoperational stage (where thinking is more egocentric and based on sensory experiences) and the formal operational stage (where abstract and hypothetical reasoning develops).
5. Step 5: Conclude that the best description of the concrete operational stage is that children begin to think logically about concrete events and understand concepts like conservation and reversibility.