Sara is 7 years old. She is told the story of Holly in one of Selman's perspective-taking exercises. Sara states that Holly's father would be upset because Holly climbed the tree, but if Holly told her father she climbed the tree to rescue a kitten, then he would not be upset. Which of Selman's stages does Sara's thinking represent?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Sara's response reflects Level 1 (Subjective Perspective-Taking) of Selman's stages of perspective-taking. At this stage, children recognize that different perspectives exist but believe that these differences are caused by the possession of different information. Sara understands that Holly's father's feelings might change based on the information he has (climbing the tree for no reason vs. climbing to save a kitten).

Sara Is 7 Years Old