Child Development and Theory-of-Mind
What developmental stage is the child named Reej currently in?
A. Sensorimotor stage
B. Preoperational stage
C. Concrete operational stage
D. Formal operational stage
Answer:
B. Preoperational stage
After being asked which of two stickers he wants, a child named Reej answers and picks his favorite sticker. Then, after being told that another child is mean and will take the sticker he wants, Reej is then given the opportunity to tell the mean child which sticker he wants, and he tells the truth letting the mean child know which sticker he really wants. The mean child then takes the sticker Reej wanted. They go through this process several times and even though Reej really wants his favorite stickers, every time the mean child asks him which sticker he wants he points out his favorite sticker.
Reej has not yet developed theory-of-mind (TOM), the ability to understand that others have different thoughts and feelings. He exhibits egocentric behavior, consistent with the preoperational stage of cognitive development, meaning he cannot yet take the perspective of others.
The cognitive skill that Reej has not yet developed is known as theory-of-mind (TOM). This is a crucial developmental stage where children begin to understand that others have thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that differ from their own. In the specific example provided, Reej's behavior suggests that he is still in the egocentric phase of cognitive development, where he is unable to take the perspective of another person, in this case, the 'mean child'.
During the preoperational stage, which typically occurs from about 2 to 7 years of age, children like Reej begin to use language and symbols to represent their world. They engage in pretend play and may be noticeably egocentric. Through learning experiences and cognitive development, children gradually acquire TOM, which gives them the ability to comprehend that others may hold false beliefs or have different desires, leading to more strategic behaviors, such as deception or perspective-taking in social interactions. However, Reej has not demonstrated this level of cognitive sophistication yet.