Which option correctly defines animism in developmental terms?

Which option correctly defines animism in developmental terms?

• A. The belief that thinking is unrelated to objects
• B. The belief that objects have feelings or lifelike qualities
• C. The belief that objects exist only in the present moment
• D. The belief that only living beings have feelings

Answer: (B)

Animism in developmental terms is when a child treats objects as if they are alive, giving them feelings, intentions, or lifelike qualities. This commonly appears in the preoperational stage, as children use symbolic thinking but haven’t yet learned to distinguish strictly between living and nonliving things. For instance, a child might say a toy car is sad if it’s left alone, or that the sun is angry when it’s cloudy. The other options miss this key idea: thinking that thinking is unrelated to objects would ignore the child’s tendency to project life onto things; believing objects exist only in the present moment doesn’t address lifelike qualities; and saying only living beings have feelings excludes the very attribution that defines animism.

Animism in developmental terms is when a child treats objects as if they are alive, giving them feelings, intentions, or lifelike qualities. This commonly appears in the preoperational stage, as children use symbolic thinking but haven’t yet learned to distinguish strictly between living and nonliving things. For instance, a child might say a toy car is sad if it’s left alone, or that the sun is angry when it’s cloudy. The other options miss this key idea: thinking that thinking is unrelated to objects would ignore the child’s tendency to project life onto things; believing objects exist only in the present moment doesn’t address lifelike qualities; and saying only living beings have feelings excludes the very attribution that defines animism.