At what stage of emotional development would you expect a child age 7 to reach?

At the age of 7, children typically begin to develop a more sophisticated understanding of the world around them, including their moral compass. This stage of emotional development is characterized by an increased ability to differentiate between right and wrong, which reflects their growing cognitive and emotional skills. Children at this age start to grasp the consequences of their actions and understand the concepts of fairness and justice, illustrating their emergence into moral reasoning.

This development is linked to their interactions with peers and authority figures, where they learn through social experiences and discussions about rules and ethics. By age 7, children are often able to articulate their thoughts on moral issues and can understand the viewpoints of others, promoting empathy and social awareness.

In contrast to this, the other choices do not accurately capture the emotional development characteristic of a 7-year-old. Complete dependence on authority figures is more typical of younger children. A focus primarily on individual desires suggests egocentrism, which is more prevalent in earlier developmental stages, and a limited understanding of social rules does not align with the cognitive advancements that occur by this age.