Maggie Understood What Her Mother Meant When She Told Her

Multiple Choice

Maggie understood what her mother meant when she told her sister, "Too many cooks spoil the broth," but her sister did not. She replied, "I thought we were having spaghetti for supper, not soup." Why could Maggie understand this statement but her younger sister could not?

A) Maggie is in formal operational thought so she can understand such abstract concepts
B) Maggie's sister has never heard that statement before
C) Maggie's sister is in formal operational thought and therefore analyzed her mother's comment too abstractly
D) Maggie used her systematic problem solving abilities to understand the meaning