Lesson 3.1.3.2.2

3.1.3.2.2 The four stages: sensorimotor, pre-operational, concrete operational, formal operational Quiz: AQA Psychology, Unit 3

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3.1.3.2.2, The four stages: sensorimotor, pre-operational, concrete operational, formal operational: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA GCSE Psychology (8182), Unit 3: Development, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which stage lasts from birth to about 2 years?

    • Pre-operational
    • Concrete operational
    • Sensorimotor
    • Formal operational

  2. In which stage do children begin to use symbols such as words and images but still reason egocentrically?

    • Formal operational
    • Concrete operational
    • Pre-operational
    • Sensorimotor

  3. In which stage can children use logical operations on concrete objects but struggle with abstract hypothetical problems?

    • Sensorimotor
    • Concrete operational
    • Formal operational
    • Pre-operational

  4. Which stage involves abstract thinking and systematic hypothetical reasoning?

    • Concrete operational
    • Sensorimotor
    • Formal operational
    • Pre-operational

  5. Which stage is characterised by learning through senses and movement, including the growing understanding that objects still exist when hidden?

    • Concrete operational
    • Formal operational
    • Pre-operational
    • Sensorimotor

  6. A 4-year-old thinks a tall, thin glass holds more juice than a short, wide one, even after watching the juice poured. Which stage fits this reasoning?

    • Pre-operational
    • Formal operational
    • Concrete operational
    • Sensorimotor

  7. An 8-year-old correctly says the amount of clay stays the same after it is rolled into a sausage. Which stage fits best?

    • Sensorimotor
    • Concrete operational
    • Pre-operational
    • Formal operational

  8. A 14-year-old works out all possible outcomes of an experiment before testing them. Which stage is this?

    • Formal operational
    • Concrete operational
    • Sensorimotor
    • Pre-operational

  9. Which is a key difference between concrete and formal operational thinking?

    • Concrete thinking relies on physical objects, while formal thinking can reason about abstract ideas
    • Both stages rely equally on hypothetical reasoning about abstract ideas and symbols
    • Both stages are limited to direct sensory experience of the physical world around them
    • Concrete thinking relies on symbols, while formal thinking relies on physical objects only

  10. Which stage is marked by the start of symbolic play, such as using a block as a telephone?

    • Formal operational
    • Concrete operational
    • Pre-operational
    • Sensorimotor

  11. A baby learns that dropping a toy makes a sound and repeats the action. Which stage does this belong to?

    • Concrete operational
    • Sensorimotor
    • Formal operational
    • Pre-operational

  12. Piaget suggested children move through the four stages in which order?

    • Sensorimotor, pre-operational, concrete operational, formal operational
    • Pre-operational, sensorimotor, formal operational, concrete operational
    • Concrete operational, sensorimotor, pre-operational, formal operational
    • Formal operational, concrete operational, pre-operational, sensorimotor

  13. Which Piagetian term best explains a pre-operational child focusing on the height of a glass and ignoring its width?

    • Centration
    • Accommodation
    • Reversibility
    • Object permanence

  14. Which change marks the move from pre-operational to concrete operational thinking?

    • Using hypothetical scenarios to plan actions in advance before they carry them out
    • Using reflexes to explore new objects in the environment by mouthing and touching them
    • Using language to label objects for the first time and to name familiar people in the home
    • Using logical rules to conserve quantity when the appearance of a substance changes

  15. Which stage is typically associated with adolescents who can think about moral and social ideals as abstract principles?

    • Sensorimotor
    • Concrete operational
    • Formal operational
    • Pre-operational

  16. A child is shown that a pencil is a pencil even when it is held differently. Which stage's understanding is being tested?

    • Sensorimotor
    • Pre-operational
    • Formal operational
    • Concrete operational

  17. Why might a 5-year-old fail a task that a 9-year-old passes, when both see the same materials?

    • The younger child has already reached abstract thinking early and finds the task dull and pointless
    • The younger child is in the pre-operational stage and has not yet developed logical operations
    • The younger child is in the formal operational stage and so rejects the task as too easy
    • The older child has better eyesight for the materials and so can see the details more clearly

  18. Which description best fits the sensorimotor stage?

    • Learning about the world through actions and senses
    • Thinking through abstract rules without any physical experience
    • Using logic with concrete objects to solve problems
    • Reasoning about hypothetical scenarios and future outcomes

  19. Which statement about the stages is most consistent with Piaget's view?

    • Children can skip a stage if they are very intelligent
    • Children move through the stages in a fixed order
    • Children reach each stage at exactly the same age in all cultures
    • Children can move directly from sensorimotor to formal operational thinking

  20. A 10-year-old can classify objects by size and colour but cannot yet reason about hypothetical moral dilemmas. Which stage is this?

    • Concrete operational
    • Formal operational
    • Sensorimotor
    • Pre-operational

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