Which concept allows a subclass to inherit methods and attributes from a superclass?

The correct answer, which highlights the concept that allows a subclass to inherit methods and attributes from a superclass, is inheritance. Inheritance is a fundamental principle of object-oriented programming that enables a new class, also known as a subclass or derived class, to leverage the properties and behaviors defined in another class, referred to as the superclass or base class.

Through inheritance, the subclass can access and utilize the methods and attributes of the superclass, promoting code reusability and establishing a hierarchical relationship between classes. This relationship allows for the creation of a more organized and manageable codebase, as common functionality can be defined once in the superclass and reused in multiple subclasses.

By contrast, encapsulation refers to the bundling of data and methods that work on that data within a single unit or class, focusing primarily on controlling access to that data. Polymorphism involves the ability of different classes to be treated as instances of the same class through a shared interface, allowing different implementations to be invoked based on the object's actual class type. Association describes a relationship between classes where one class uses or references another, but it doesn’t inherently provide the hierarchical or inheritance structure that enables method and attribute sharing in the same way that inheritance does.