Match the stage of development with the thinking style characteristic of that stage: 1\. Egocentric thought 2\. Object permanence 3\. Abstract reasoning 4\. Conservation; reversibility a. Sensorimotor b. Formal operational c. Preoperational d. Concrete operational

Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development suggests that children go through four different stages of mental development. His theory focuses not only on understanding how children acquire knowledge, but also on understanding the nature of intelligence.\n\n1. Sensorimotor stage (Birth to 2 years old): The child is learning about the world through his/her senses and motor activities. Key development: Object permanence - the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen.\n\n2. Preoperational stage (2 to 7 years old): Symbolic thought encompasses this period but there is a lack of logic. Children in this stage are likely to demonstrate 'egocentric thought', not being able to view the perspective of others. Conservation abilities are beginning to form but are not yet solidified.\n\n3. Concrete operational (7 to 11 years old): Major turning point in cognitive development as the child begin thinking more rationally and systematically about concrete events. The development of the concept of conservation, the ability to understand that redistributing material does not affect its mass, number or volume, is a notable achievement of this stage.\n\n4. Formal operational (11 years and up): This is also known as the problem-solving stage. During this stage, the ability to think abstractly, reason logically and draw conclusions from the information available is developed.\n

Now, match the thinking style characteristics to stages:\n\n1. Egocentric thought - This is best associated with the Preoperational stage.\n\n2. Object permanence - This characteristic is from the Sensorimotor stage.\n\n3. Abstract reasoning - This type of reasoning happens during the Formal operational stage.\n\n4. Conservation; reversibility - These characteristics are most associated with the Concrete operational stage.\n

Relate the characteristics to the stages:\n\nEgocentric thought (c. Preoperational)\n\nObject permanence (a. Sensorimotor)\n\nAbstract reasoning (b. Formal operational)\n\nConservation; reversibility (d. Concrete operational)\n