Human Growth and Development CLEP Prep Practice Exam

According to Piaget, during which stage of development does the child possess the ability to think in terms of hypothetical solutions?

1. Sensory motor

2. Preoperational

3. Concrete operational

4. Formal operational

The correct answer is: Formal operational

During the Sensory motor stage, infants and young toddlers are focused on experiencing the world through their senses and developing motor skills. They are not yet capable of hypothetical thinking. During the Preoperational stage, children are learning to use symbols and language to represent objects and events, but they still do not have the ability to think hypothetically. The Concrete operational stage is characterized by the child's ability to think logically about concrete objects and events, but they still struggle with abstract thinking and hypothetical situations. It is during the Formal operational stage that children reach the cognitive milestone of hypothetical thinking, meaning they can think about situations and solutions that may not exist in reality but are still able to reason and understand them. This is a significant leap in cognitive development and marks the transition from childhood to adolescence.