Piaget's theory of cognitive development outlines four stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. The preoperational stage occurs from ages 2-7 and is characterized by the development of representation skills but a lack of logical thinking. Children in the concrete operational stage from ages 7-11 are capable of logical thought involving concrete objects and events and can conserve. The primary difference between the preoperational and concrete operational stages is that logical thinking develops in the latter.

1. Cognitive
Development
Kaitlyn Stahl
Office Hours – Tuesday @ 11

2. Jean Piaget

3. Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development
Preoperational
Concrete
Operational
{Birth-2} {11-adulthood}{2-7} {7-11}
• Rep. skills
• Lacks logical
thinking
• Capable of
logical thought
on concrete
events/objects
• Now able to
conserve

4. Conservation
– Knowing that amount doesn’t
change when appearance changes

5. Volume Conservation Task

6. Mass Conservation Task
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnArvcWaH6I

7. Length Conservation Task

8. Number Conservation Task

9. Preoperational Child
Focuses On:
–Perception (not logic)
–Beginning & end (not changes in the
middle)

10. What is a primary difference between
the preoperational stage and the
concrete operational stage?
a) A child in the preoperational stage has not developed logical thinking,
and the child in the concrete operational has started to.
b) The preoperational child cannot conserve, while the concrete
operational child can.
c) The preoperational child frequently engages in animism, while the
concrete operational child may not.
d) All of the above.

11. Haylee commonly states to have an imaginary friend that she
plays “house” with. She often acts out her Barbie dolls with this
imaginary friend. What stage of cognitive development would we
say Haylee is in?
a) Formal Operational
b) Concrete Operational
c) Preoperational
d) Sensorimotor

12. a) Mass
b) Volume
c) Number
d) Length