A nurse is teaching a class about Piaget’s stages of cognitive development. The nurse should instruct that object permanence develops during which of the following stages?

Choice A reason: The concrete operational stage (7-11 years) involves logical thinking about concrete objects, not object permanence. Children in this stage understand conservation and reversibility but have already developed object permanence earlier. This stage focuses on operational thought, not the foundational cognitive milestone of recognizing objects’ continued existence. Choice B reason: The formal operational stage (12 years and up) involves abstract and hypothetical reasoning, far beyond the development of object permanence. This stage focuses on complex problem-solving and theoretical thinking, not basic cognitive concepts like object permanence, which is established in infancy, making this incorrect. Choice C reason: The preoperational stage (2-7 years) involves symbolic thinking and egocentrism, but object permanence is already developed. Children in this stage use symbols and language but do not focus on learning that objects exist when out of sight, as this milestone is achieved earlier, making this incorrect. Choice D reason: Object permanence, the understanding that objects continue to exist when out of sight, develops during the sensorimotor stage (birth to 2 years). Through sensory and motor interactions, infants learn this concept by 8-12 months, as described by Piaget, making this the correct stage for teaching about object permanence development.