According to Jean Piaget a child who is unable to understand the logic behind simple mathematical reversals such as 4 +5=9 so 9 −5=4, it is because of :

Correct Option: irreversibility

Explanation:

According to Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, children in the pre-operational stage (typically ages 2 to 7) exhibit a characteristic known as irreversibility.

Irversibility refers to the inability to mentally reverse a series of steps, actions, or mathematical operations back to their starting point. In the given scenario:

If a child learns that:

$4+5=9$

they may still struggle to realize the reverse mathematical operation:

$9-5=4$

This occurs because the child cannot yet mentally manipulate or undo the addition to understand the inverse relationship of subtraction.

Let us briefly review the other options to see why they do not apply:

1. Animistic thinking: The belief that inanimate objects have feelings, intentions, and life-like qualities (e.g., believing the sun is happy).

2. Egocentrism: The inability to see a situation from another person's point of view.

3. Perceptual centration: The tendency to focus on only one feature of an object or situation at a time while ignoring other relevant aspects.

Therefore, the inability to understand simple mathematical reversals is due to irreversibility.