Association of Social Work Boards Masters (ASWB MSW) Practice Exam

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Which stage of Piaget's cognitive development is characterized by abstract thinking and hypothesis testing?

Sensorimotor
Preoperational
Concrete operations
Formal operations

The correct answer is: Formal operations

Piaget's cognitive development theory states that children progress through different stages of development, each with its own characteristics. The fourth stage, formal operations, is characterized by abstract thinking and the ability to test hypotheses. This is in contrast to the previous three stages. The sensorimotor stage focuses on using senses and motor skills to explore the world, the preoperational stage involves egocentrism and developing language skills, and the concrete operations stage involves logical reasoning and understanding conservation. Therefore, options A, B, and C are incorrect as they do not describe abstract thinking and hypothesis testing. Only option D, formal operations, accurately matches the characteristics provided in the question.