Which scenario illustrates egocentrism in preschool children?

• A. Thinking that a visitor will arrive every time they have lunch.
• B. Sharing toys with a friend.
• C. Understanding that others may have different lunches.
• D. Asking to play a game.

Answer: (A)

Egocentrism in preschoolers is the tendency to view the world only from their own point of view and assume others experience things the same way they do. In this scenario, the child thinks that a visitor will arrive every time they have lunch. That shows they’re projecting their own routine onto someone else and assuming the visitor’s behavior is centered on the child’s lunch schedule, not on the visitor’s own reasons or timing. They haven’t yet learned that others may have different schedules or motives.

The other behaviors described would imply at least some awareness of others’ perspectives or a willingness to interact, rather than a concrete assumption that others’ actions are entirely tied to the child’s own experience.