A 4-year-old boy is hospitalized with a serious bacterial infection. He tells the nurse that he is sick because he was "bad." Which of the following is the nurse's best interpretation of this comment?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

At this age, children often engage in magical thinking and may believe that their thoughts or behaviors can cause unrelated events. It's common for them to think they are sick because they were "bad," reflecting their developmental understanding rather than maladaptation or excessive discipline.

A 4-Year-Old Boy Is Hospitalized with a Serious Bacterial Infection