Jean Piaget
A child covers her eyes and assumes others cannot see her. Which Piagetian concept is shown?
A. Object permanence
B. Egocentrism
C. Conservation
D. Reversibility
Answer: B. Egocentrism
(basic recall of hallmark trait of the preoperational stage)
A toddler no longer cries when her mother leaves the room because she knows her mother will return. Which Piagetian concept explains this?
A. Conservation
B. Object permanence
C. Reversibility
D. Classification
Answer: B. Object permanence
(basic recall, hallmark of the sensorimotor stage)
Which concept explains a child’s process of fitting new experiences into an existing schema?
A. Equilibration
B. Assimilation
C. Accommodation
D. Reversibility
Answer: B. Assimilation
(basic definition, fitting new experience into prior knowledge)
During science class, a Grade 3 pupil insists that a short, wide glass has less water than a tall, thin glass, even though the teacher poured the same amount. Which principle is the child still struggling with?
A. Reversibility
B. Classification
C. Conservation
D. Schema
Answer: C. Conservation
(requires application of Piaget’s concepts in a situation)
A Grade 2 student insists that two balls of clay are different amounts because one is flattened. Which concept has not yet developed?
A. Classification
B. Conservation
C. Equilibration
D. Seriation
Answer: B. Conservation
(applied concept of quantity staying the same despite changes in shape)
A student checks her math answer 9 – 4 = 5 by reversing it as 5 + 4 = 9. This demonstrates:
A. Conservation
B. Reversibility
C. Equilibration
D. Classification
Answer: B. Reversibility
(operation can be undone mentally to verify accuracy)
A 14-year-old student is asked to weigh the consequences of breaking a rule for the sake of protecting a friend. He considers abstract principles of justice, loyalty, and fairness before deciding. Which of Piaget’s stages does this reasoning reflect?
A. Sensorimotor – reliance on trial-and-error learning
B. Preoperational – focus on egocentric thought
C. Concrete operational – reliance on logical but tangible reasoning
D. Formal operational – ability for abstract and hypothetical reasoning
Answer: D. Formal operational
(higher-order reasoning, situational + abstract moral dilemma)
A teacher asks Grade 8 students to design an experiment predicting what would happen if plants were grown without sunlight. Which stage makes this reasoning possible?
A. Sensorimotor
B. Preoperational
C. Concrete operational
D. Formal operational
Answer: D. Formal operational
(abstract, hypothetical reasoning beyond concrete materials)
A high school teacher requires learners to analyze whether rules should always be followed or whether exceptions are justifiable in moral dilemmas. Which cognitive ability is applied?
A. Egocentrism
B. Abstract reasoning
C. Object permanence
D. Animism
Answer: B. Abstract reasoning
(hallmark of formal operational thinking, applied in moral contexts)