Three-year-old Ruth draws a picture with lavender, purple, and blue colors intermixed with green, yellow, and brown. "It is a boat in the ocean at sunset, with whales jumping all around it!" she explains to her teacher. Which of the following does this explain?
A) animism
B) conservation
C) the intuitive thought substage
D) the symbolic function substage

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Ruth's description of her drawing demonstrates the symbolic function substage of cognitive development, where children begin to use symbols (like drawings) to represent objects that are not physically present. Her ability to use colors and shapes to symbolize a boat, ocean, sunset, and whales, even though they are not realistically depicted, shows her engagement in symbolic thought.

Three-Year-Old Ruth Draws a Picture with Lavender, Purple, and Blue