Elijah is a 3-year-old boy who likes to spread his peas and carrots all over his plate. After spreading out his food, he asks for more. His mom pushes all the food together and Elijah continues to eat. Which period of cognitive development is Elijah in?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Elijah is in the preoperational stage of cognitive development, which is characterized by the development of language and symbolic thinking, but limited logical reasoning. Elijah's behavior of spreading out his food on his plate and then asking for more shows that he has not yet developed the concept of conservation, which is the understanding that the amount of a substance remains the same even when its appearance changes. His mom's action of pushing the food back together shows that she understands this concept, but Elijah does not. This behavior is typical of children in the preoperational stage.

Elijah Is a 3-Year-Old Boy Who Likes to Spread His