In watching two children, Wiley, who is in the concrete operational stage, and Abby, who is in the formal operational stage, solve Piaget's pendulum problem, what difference would be evident?
A) Both Wiley and Abby will use similar strategies to solve the problem.
B) Wiley will systematically test alternative hypotheses.
C) Abby will intuitively solve the problem without experimentation.
D) Abby will systematically test alternative hypotheses.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Piaget's pendulum problem requires formal operational thinking, which involves the ability to systematically test alternative hypotheses. Therefore, Abby, who is in the formal operational stage, is expected to use this strategy. Wiley, who is in the concrete operational stage, will likely rely on trial-and-error and may not approach the problem as systematically as Abby. Therefore, option D is the correct answer.

In Watching Two Children, Wiley, Who Is in the Concrete