According to Piaget's Cognitive Developmental Theory, in which stage does a child typically develop the ability to conserve quantity and number?

• A. Formal operational stage
• B. Concrete operational stage
• C. Sensorimotor stage
• D. Preoperational stage

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand Piaget's stages of cognitive development: Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete Operational, and Formal Operational.
2. Recall that the Sensorimotor stage (birth to about 2 years) involves learning through sensory experiences and motor actions, without yet developing conservation skills.
3. Recognize that the Preoperational stage (approximately 2 to 7 years) is characterized by symbolic thinking but children typically lack the ability to conserve quantity or number.
4. Identify that the Concrete Operational stage (around 7 to 11 years) is when children develop logical thinking about concrete events, including the ability to understand conservation of quantity and number.
5. Note that the Formal Operational stage (from about 12 years onward) involves abstract and hypothetical thinking, which goes beyond conservation skills developed earlier.