According to research, Piaget's views on the egocentrism of infants are best described as which of the following?

• A. Understated, since infants are even less able to understand others' perspectives than Piaget suggested.
• B. Overstated, as later studies show infants may have some ability to take others' perspectives earlier than Piaget proposed.
• C. Accurate, as all research confirms infants are completely egocentric until age 7.
• D. Irrelevant, because egocentrism is not a concept studied in cognitive development.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of egocentrism in Piaget's theory: Egocentrism refers to the inability of young children, particularly infants, to see a situation from another person's point of view.
2. Recall Piaget's original claim that infants and young children are highly egocentric, meaning they cannot easily understand perspectives different from their own until around age 7.
3. Review later research findings that challenge Piaget's view, showing that infants may have some early ability to understand others' perspectives, suggesting egocentrism might not be as absolute or prolonged as Piaget proposed.
4. Compare the options given in the problem to these insights: the correct interpretation is that Piaget overstated infant egocentrism because newer studies indicate infants have some perspective-taking abilities earlier than he suggested.
5. Conclude that the best description of Piaget's view on infant egocentrism is that it was overstated, based on more recent empirical evidence.