Question

Fifteen-year-old Rebecca still has a 10:00 p.m. curfew. She is asking her parents to extend her curfew on the weekends to 11:00 p.m. When her parents ask her why she thinks her curfew should be changed, Rebecca replies, "Because I am older now, and I've never been late for my 10:00 p.m. curfew. I think you can trust me, so can we at least give it a try?" This is an example of what kind of thinking?

a) Formal operational thinking
b) Preconventional thinking
c) Postconventional thinking
d) Preoperational thinking

Answer 1

Rebecca's argument for a later curfew reflects her ability to think logically and abstractly, representing Piaget's formal operational thinking stage of cognitive development.

Explanation:

Formal Operational Thinking:

Rebecca's reasoning for extending her curfew is an example of formal operational thinking. At fifteen years old, she is at the developmental stage where she can think abstractly and logically about hypothetical situations. Her argument that she can be trusted based on past behavior and her request to test out the new curfew time reflect her capability for advance planning and understanding of potential outcomes, hallmarks of formal operational thought which is part of cognitive development according to Jean Piaget's theory.

Postconventional thinking is a stage of moral development where individuals consider morality in abstract terms and recognize that legality and morality may not align. Rebecca's argument that her parents can trust her and give her a later curfew is based on her understanding of moral principles and her ability to think about the situation from multiple perspectives.