A teacher gives a problem to adolescent students: “X is taller than Y, Y is…
2023
A teacher gives a problem to adolescent students: “X is taller than Y, Y is taller than Z, then who is the tallest?” This teacher expects that this problem _________.
- A.
is too easy for the students as it requires symbolic thinking
- B.
cannot be solved by the students as it requires critical thinking
- C.
can be solved by the students as it requires abstract thinking
- D.
should not be given as it requires concrete thinking
Attempted by 68 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Answer: X is the tallest. Explanation: The two statements express a transitive relation. From "X is taller than Y" and "Y is taller than Z" we can infer "X is taller than Z" by transitivity, so X is the tallest of the three. Step 1: Interpret the statements as relational comparisons: X > Y and Y > Z.
Step 2: Apply transitive reasoning: if X > Y and Y > Z, then X > Z.
Step 3: Conclude that X is the tallest.
Cognitive note: This task relies on abstract relational thinking and symbolic representation rather than concrete manipulation. According to Piaget, adolescents typically reach the formal operational stage and can perform this kind of abstract inference, so the problem is appropriate for them.