Which of the following statements about Piaget's preoperational stage is accurate?

• A. The preoperational stage is characterized by the ability to think abstractly and solve hypothetical problems.
• B. Children in the preoperational stage exhibit egocentrism and struggle to understand the perspectives of others.
• C. Children in the preoperational stage consistently use deductive reasoning to solve problems.
• D. Children in the preoperational stage can perform complex logical operations and understand conservation.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the context of Piaget's stages of cognitive development, focusing on the preoperational stage, which typically occurs between ages 2 and 7.
2. Step 2: Recall that the preoperational stage is characterized by symbolic thinking, language development, and egocentrism, meaning children have difficulty seeing things from perspectives other than their own.
3. Step 3: Recognize that abstract thinking and solving hypothetical problems are abilities that develop later, in the formal operational stage, not the preoperational stage.
4. Step 4: Note that deductive reasoning and understanding conservation (the idea that quantity remains the same despite changes in shape or appearance) are also skills that emerge after the preoperational stage, typically in the concrete operational stage.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the accurate statement about the preoperational stage is that children exhibit egocentrism and struggle to understand others' perspectives.