Which characteristic is typical of the preoperational stage?

During the preoperational stage, which typically occurs in children aged 2 to 7 years, two significant characteristics are evident: symbolic thinking and an egocentric focus.

Symbolic thinking refers to the ability of children to use symbols, such as words and images, to represent objects or experiences. This capability allows them to engage in pretend play and to communicate complex ideas beyond their immediate environment. For instance, a child might use a stick as a pretend sword, demonstrating their ability to think representationally and creatively.

Egocentric focus is another hallmark of this developmental stage, where children have difficulty recognizing perspectives other than their own. This means that they may assume that others see, think, and feel the same way they do. For instance, when talking to someone, they might only consider their own experiences and not take into account how someone else might perceive the situation.

The combination of both symbolic thinking and an egocentric focus defines the cognitive processes of children in the preoperational stage, making the answer identifying these two characteristics accurate and complete. Other options like logical reasoning are characteristics of the subsequent concrete operational stage, where children begin to think more systematically.