Four-year-old Natasha saw her mother put on a witch costume at Halloween and became frightened, refusing to go anywhere near her. Natasha's sudden fear of her mother, whom she normally loves to be around, is best explained by which characteristic of preoperational thinking?

Question

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Preoperational thinking is characterized by a child's tendency to focus on the perceived appearance of things, rather than their actual properties. This is known as the appearance as reality characteristic. Natasha's fear of her mother in a witch costume is likely due to her inability to understand that her mother is still the same person, despite her new appearance.

Four-Year-Old Natasha Saw Her Mother Put on a Witch Costume