A 4-year-old girl is terrified by the film Bambi, whereas her 2-year-old sibling is not. How would a Piagetian explain the differing reactions of the siblings to the film?

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The 4-year-old constructs a different understanding of the film than the 2-year-old because, according to Piaget's theory of cognitive development, children at different stages understand and interpret the world around them in different ways. The 4-year-old is likely in the preoperational stage, where they can think symbolically and begin to use words and pictures to represent objects. This allows them to construct a more complex understanding of the film's events, leading to fear. The 2-year-old, likely still in the sensorimotor stage, does not yet have the cognitive ability to understand the film in the same way.

A 4-Year-Old Girl Is Terrified by the Film Bambi, Whereas