Final answer:
Adolescents' ability to apply overarching principles to solve problems is known as deductive reasoning, which aligns with the cognitive capabilities developed during their formal operational stage.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct option : a
Adolescents' ability to apply overarching principles, theories, and formulas to solve problems is known as deductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning begins with a general theory or principle and logically determines specific consequences that must be true if the general theory is true. In the context of adolescents' cognitive development, this is part of their evolved abstract thinking capabilities, which emerges during the formal operational stage, as defined by Jean Piaget. Teenagers begin to think beyond concrete operational thought, engaging in abstract and logical reasoning, debating ideas, imagining hypothetical scenarios, and considering multiple viewpoints, all of which rely on deductive reasoning.
Take for example a physics problem where students use the formulas and principles they've learned to predict the outcome of an experiment or to calculate a value. Adolescents in their formal operational stage would comfortably flex their analytical skills and problem-solving abilities to navigate through such academic challenges. This is because teens develop new thinking abilities, allowing them to process and apply complex concepts logically and methodically, moving from a broad principle to specific instances.