Some researchers suggested that Piaget overestimated the presence of formal operational
thinking in adolescents. What evidence would support this contention?
What will be an ideal response?
Adolescents that display formal operational thought tend to show unevenness in such
thinking. For example, adolescents with considerable expertise in an area may show
advanced thinking in this context, but not in contexts they are less experienced with. In
one study, researchers presented younger and older adolescents tasks that were either
relevant (e.g., not being invited to a party) or less relevant (e.g., how to evade a tax
audit). Younger adolescents did not display formal operational thought in either
instance, whereas the older adolescents only displayed advanced thinking in the more
relevant context.
You might also like to view...
The two childhood disorders that have been related to later antisocial personality disorder are:
A) depression and withdrawal. B) schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. C) mental retardation. D) conduct disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Psychologists who give potential employees tests that determine what kind of job those employees might best perform are interested in the goal of __________
a) prediction. b) explanation. c) description. d) control.