Three-year-old Rosalie loves Kewpie dolls, so she decides to give one to her mother for a birthday present. Rosalie's behaivor demonstrates

• A. animism.
• B. irreversibility.
• C. egocentrism.
• D. centration.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of egocentrism: In developmental psychology, egocentrism refers to the inability of a child, typically in the preoperational stage (ages 2-7), to see a situation from another person's point of view. They assume that others share their thoughts, feelings, and perspectives.
2. Identify the context: Rosalie, a three-year-old, chooses a gift for her mother based on her own preferences, not considering whether her mother would like it. This is a classic example of egocentrism, where the child projects their own likes onto others.
3. Differentiate from other concepts: Animism is attributing life-like qualities to inanimate objects, irreversibility is the inability to mentally reverse a sequence of events or logical operations, and centration is focusing on one aspect of a situation while ignoring others. None of these concepts fit the scenario as well as egocentrism does.
4. Apply the concept: Recognize that Rosalie's choice of gift reflects her egocentric thinking, as she assumes her mother would love the Kewpie doll just as much as she does.
5. Conclude with understanding: By identifying Rosalie's behavior as egocentrism, we see how young children often interpret the world from their own perspective, which is a normal part of cognitive development in the preoperational stage.