Which statement is a sign of the concrete-operational stage?

Which statement is a sign of the concrete-operational stage?

• A. Think in abstract terms.
• B. Apply logic to understand the world.
• C. Egocentric thinking.
• D. Belief in magic.

Answer: (B)

In the concrete-operational stage, children begin to reason logically about concrete, tangible problems rather than relying on intuition or appearances. Applying logic to understand the world fits this stage because they can perform mental operations on real objects and events—think conservation, classification, and reversibility. They still need concrete context and don’t yet handle abstract or hypothetical ideas well, which is why abstract thinking isn’t a hallmark of this stage. Egocentric thinking and belief in magical explanations are more characteristic of earlier stages, so they don’t capture this stage’s logical, concrete reasoning.

In the concrete-operational stage, children begin to reason logically about concrete, tangible problems rather than relying on intuition or appearances. Applying logic to understand the world fits this stage because they can perform mental operations on real objects and events—think conservation, classification, and reversibility. They still need concrete context and don’t yet handle abstract or hypothetical ideas well, which is why abstract thinking isn’t a hallmark of this stage. Egocentric thinking and belief in magical explanations are more characteristic of earlier stages, so they don’t capture this stage’s logical, concrete reasoning.