FTCE Professional Education Practice Exam

Which cognitive skill allows a child to mentally reverse an operation in Piaget's theory?

1. Seriation

2. Reversibility

3. Class inclusion

4. Centration

The correct answer is: Reversibility

In Piaget's theory of cognitive development, the skill of reversibility refers to a child's ability to understand that some operations can be reversed, returning to the original state or condition. This cognitive skill is essential during the concrete operational stage, which typically occurs between the ages of 7 and 11. When a child demonstrates reversibility, they can grasp that if something has been changed or transformed in some way (for example, a ball of clay shaped into a snake can be reshaped back into a ball), they can picture the original form in their mind. This skill is crucial for understanding concepts such as addition and subtraction, as well as understanding physical changes in materials. The other options present different cognitive skills that are significant within Piaget's framework, but they do not encapsulate the specific ability to mentally reverse an operation. For example, seriation involves arranging objects in a particular order based on characteristics such as size or color, class inclusion relates to understanding relationships within categories, and centration pertains to focusing on one aspect of a situation while neglecting others. These are distinct aspects of cognitive development that do not involve the mental reversal aspect that reversibility encapsulates.