MCAT Behavioral Sciences Question 190: Answer and Explanation

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Question: 190

2. If a two-year-old child repeatedly asks his mother for his favorite toy after it has been lost, what understanding has the child obtained, according to Piaget's theory of cognitive development?

  • A. Schemas
  • B. Conservation
  • C. Object permanence
  • D. Formal operations

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

A two-year-old is likely in the earliest stages of preoperational thought, and has thus attained object permanence, the ability to understand that something still exists even if they cannot see it (choice C is correct). Schemas are mental frameworks for organizing concepts; while the child likely has a schema for "toy" that he fits his favorite toy into mentally, this does not describe why the child would ask for the toy after it is lost (choice A is wrong). Conservation (the ability to understand that quantity does not change despite a change in size) is attained during the concrete operational stage (ages 7 to 11), and does not explain the described scenario (choice B is wrong). Formal operational thought occurs around age 12 (choice D is wrong).

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