Question

Which of the following of Piaget's stages of cognitive development occur before adolescence? Preoperational Sensorimotor Formal operational (A) I only (B) II only (C) I and II (D) II and III

Short answer

C

Step-by-step solution

- Understand Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development

Piaget's stages are Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete Operational, and Formal Operational. Sensorimotor lasts from birth to about 2 years, Preoperational from 2 to 7 years, Concrete Operational from 7 to 11 years, and Formal Operational from 12 years onward.

- Identify Stages Before Adolescence

Adolescence typically begins around age 12. The stages that occur before this are Sensorimotor, Preoperational, and Concrete Operational.

- Match Stages to the Options

From the options given: Preoperational and Sensorimotor occur before adolescence. Formal Operational begins at adolescence, so it occurs during and after adolescence.

- Select Correct Option

The correct options matching stages before adolescence are I (Preoperational) and II (Sensorimotor). This corresponds to (C) I and II.

Key concepts

Preoperational stage

The preoperational stage is the second stage in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. It typically occurs between ages 2 to 7. During this stage, children start to use language and think symbolically. However, their thinking is still intuitive and egocentric, meaning they struggle to see things from others' perspectives.

Children also engage in pretend play and are becoming more adept at using words and symbols. Yet, they don't yet grasp complex concepts such as cause and effect, time, and comparison. Their thinking is characterized by centration, focusing on one aspect of a situation and ignoring other relevant aspects.

• **Preconception Phase:** Ages 2 to 4; characterized by symbolic representation and language.
• **Intuitive Phase:** Ages 4 to 7; still dominated by the child’s own perceptions and egocentric thinking.

Sensorimotor stage

The sensorimotor stage is the first of Piaget’s stages of cognitive development, spanning from birth to about 2 years old. During this period, infants learn about the world through their senses and actions. They engage in activities such as looking, sucking, grasping, and listening.

This stage is characterized by the development of object permanence, which is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, heard, or touched. Babies also begin to understand cause-and-effect relationships. Their knowledge is limited to their motor activity and sensory experiences.

• **Reflexive:** Birth to 1 month; includes simple reflexes such as sucking and grasping.
• **Primary Circular Reactions:** 1 to 4 months; involves repetitive actions centered on their own body.
• **Secondary Circular Reactions:** 4 to 8 months; repetitive actions oriented toward external objects.

Adolescent cognitive development

Adolescent cognitive development corresponds to Piaget’s final stage, the formal operational stage, which begins at about age 12. During this stage, adolescents develop the ability to think abstractly, reason logically, and plan for the future. They can understand hypothetical situations and use deductive reasoning.

This enables them to think about moral, philosophical, ethical, social, and political issues, which require theoretical and abstract reasoning. They also develop metacognition, the ability to think about thinking. This stage is when adolescents begin to understand concepts such as justice, freedom, and equality.

• **Abstract Thought:** Ability to consider possibilities beyond the concrete and present.
• **Hypothetico-Deductive Reasoning:** Formulating hypotheses and predicting logical outcomes.
• **Metacognition:** Thinking about one’s own thought processes for deeper understanding.