Piaget was a Swiss psychologist who developed one of the most influential theories of cognitive development. He believed that children construct an understanding of the world through experiences interacting with objects and people. Piaget identified four main stages of development: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. Each stage is characterized by developing capabilities, such as the understanding of object permanence and conservation. Piaget's theory stresses that cognitive development proceeds at different rates in different children and occurs through maturational biological changes and active learning. His work has greatly influenced modern education.