Harry, a 3-year-old, is shown a raisin box and then is shown that the box contains pennies. If asked what he had thought the box contained before being shown its true contents, Harry will MOST likely say he had thought it contained
A) raisins.
B) pennies.
C) popcorn.
D) quarters.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

At the age of 3, children are typically in the preoperational stage of cognitive development, according to Jean Piaget. They have not yet mastered the concept of conservation and struggle with taking the perspective of others, a limitation known as egocentrism. Therefore, Harry is likely to project his current state of knowledge backward and claim he thought the box contained pennies all along, not understanding that his belief could have been different before being shown the box's contents.

Harry, a 3-Year-Old, Is Shown a Raisin Box and Then