On a rainy afternoon, five-year-old Nathan had great fun building a pirate ship using the cushions from the couch and several kitchen chairs. Nathan's imaginary play reflects his capacity for _____, which is a characteristic of the _____ stage of cognitive development.
A) object permanence; preoperational
B) abstract reasoning; concrete operational
C) conservation; preoperational
D) symbolic thought; preoperational

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Nathan's use of cushions and chairs as a pirate ship demonstrates his ability to use symbolic thought, in which he understands that objects (cushions and chairs) can represent something else (a pirate ship). This is a characteristic of the preoperational stage of cognitive development in which children ages 2-7 develop language, symbolic thought, and imaginative play.

On a Rainy Afternoon, Five-Year-Old Nathan Had Great Fun Building