Certificate In Psychology (CPSY) Practice Exam

Which developmental stage is characterized by the ability to think abstractly?

1. Concrete operational stage

2. Formal operational stage

3. Pre-operational stage

4. Sensorimotor stage

The correct answer is: Formal operational stage

The formal operational stage is the developmental phase where individuals gain the capacity for abstract thought and advanced reasoning. This stage, proposed by Jean Piaget, typically begins around age 12 and continues into adulthood. During this period, individuals can think more logically and systematically about complex problems, consider hypothetical situations, and engage in deductive reasoning. In contrast, the concrete operational stage, which occurs between ages 7 and 11, is marked by more logical thinking but is still tied to concrete experiences; abstract thinking is not fully developed. The pre-operational stage, from roughly ages 2 to 7, involves symbolic thinking and imagination but lacks logical reasoning about concrete events. Lastly, the sensorimotor stage, from birth to about 2 years, focuses on physical interactions with the environment and does not involve abstract reasoning capabilities. Hence, when it comes to the capacity for abstract thinking, the formal operational stage is definitively the correct choice.