Which is a common characteristic of children in the preoperational stage of cognitive development?

Children in the preoperational stage of cognitive development, as described by Jean Piaget, typically exhibit egocentrism, which is a tendency to view the world solely from their own perspective. This characteristic is significant because it highlights their difficulty in understanding that other people may have thoughts, feelings, or viewpoints different from their own. For example, a child might struggle to understand why a friend would want to play with a toy that they themselves desire, or why a parent might be upset when they are only focused on their own feelings.

This stage, which generally occurs between the ages of 2 and 7, is marked by symbolic thinking and imagination, but logical reasoning and understanding of the perspectives of others are still developing. The other options reflect abilities that are typically found in later stages of cognitive development. For instance, abstract thinking and logical reasoning skills are associated with the formal operational stage, which occurs from around age 12 and onwards. Mastery of simple addition and subtraction generally develops during the concrete operational stage, which starts around age 7. Hence, the characteristic of egocentrism is a defining feature of the preoperational stage.