An example of the renewed egocentrism that appears during the formal operational stage is an adolescent's heightened self-consciousness. For instance, a 15-year-old with a minor pimple might believe it is extremely large and prominent, mistakenly thinking that others share their perception and are focused on it.

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Key characteristics of the formal operational stage include:
- The ability to understand and reason with abstract concepts and hypothetical scenarios.
- The use of abstract thinking for problem-solving, which involves evaluating and testing alternative solutions.
- The re-emergence of egocentrism, specific to adolescence.

Formal Operational Stage Characteristics

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

A high school science class is asked to consider the following hypothetical rule: 'If a substance is blue, it will float in water.' They are then shown a blue rock and asked what they can conclude based *only* on the given rule. Which student response best demonstrates the ability to think abstractly and use hypothetical-deductive reasoning?

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