A child has two favourite glasses: a tall,skinny one with a picture of a giraffe on it and a short,fat one with a picture of a hippopotamus on it.When her mother pours her some milk using the "hippo" glass,the girls asks that the milk be moved into the "giraffe" glass because she is really thirsty.If the girl believes that simply transferring the milk into the taller glass increases the amount,what can be concluded about her cognitive development?
A)She is in the stage of formal operations.
B)She has not yet reached the concrete operational stage.
C)She is incapable of accommodation.
D)She is capable of mental operations.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The child's belief that transferring the milk into a taller glass increases the amount suggests that she has not yet reached the concrete operational stage. Specifically, she has not developed the concept of conservation, which is the understanding that changing the appearance of an object does not change its properties (in this case, the amount of milk). The child's thinking is still preoperational, characterized by egocentrism and a focus on appearance over function.

A Child Has Two Favourite Glasses: a Tall,skinny One with a Picture