Psychology MCAT Practice Exam 2025 – Complete All-in-One Guide to Ensure Your Success!

The correct choice is the Preoperational stage, which typically occurs in children from ages 2 to 7. During this stage, children are developing language and engage in symbolic play but have not yet mastered the concept of conservation or the perspectives of others.

Egocentrism in this context refers to the inability of children in the Preoperational stage to see situations from perspectives other than their own. For instance, a child may assume that others have the same thoughts and feelings as they do, not understanding that different people can have different perspectives and experiences. This cognitive limitation illustrates how children struggle to grasp abstract concepts and the viewpoints of others during this developmental period.

In contrast, during the Sensorimotor stage, which precedes the Preoperational stage, children are focused on exploring the world through their senses and actions and do not yet engage in symbolic thought. The Concrete Operational stage, which follows the Preoperational stage, marks the beginning of logical thought as children start to understand the concept of conservation and can consider multiple viewpoints. Lastly, in the Formal Operational stage, which occurs beginning around age 12, individuals develop the ability to think abstractly and logically about hypothetical situations, overcoming the egocentric limitations seen in earlier stages.