A child seen playing at the beach has first poured a bucket of sand into a short,fat container and then another bucket into a tall,thin container.When asked which container holds more sand,the child points to the tall,thin container.This response suggests that she is at Piaget's _____ stage of cognitive development.
A) formal operational
B) preoperational
C) motor
D) concrete operational

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Piaget's theory of cognitive development, children in the preoperational stage (ages 2-7 years) often have difficulty with conservation of mass, volume, and number. They are unable to understand that the amount of a substance remains the same even when the shape or container changes. Therefore, the child's response suggesting that the tall, thin container holds more sand indicates a lack of conservation ability, which is characteristic of the preoperational stage.

A Child Seen Playing at the Beach Has First Poured