Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development

assimilation

introducing new information that aligns with an existing schema

accommodation

introducing new information that requires modification of an existing schema

sensorimotor

first stage of cognitive development; lasts from birth to about 2 years; exploring the connections between movement and sensory satisfaction

object permanence

the understanding that things still exist even when they cannot be sensed in the moment; develops around 8 months

separation anxiety

a sense of fear due to the temporary absence of a primary caregiver (result of a lack of object permenance)

preoperational

second stage of cognitive development; lasts about from 2 to 7 years; thinking is limited to egocentric and symbolic processes

animism

the belief that inanimate objects have emotions and other human qualities; typically present during the preoperational stage

egocentrism

the inability to understand another person’s experience; typically present during the preoperational stage

pretend play

a type of imaginative play that involves people or objects working as symbols for others (e.g. “playing house”); typically present during the preoperational stage

theory of mind

the understanding that other people have conciousness and experiences different from one’s own; develops near the end of the preoperational stage and through the concrete operational stage

concrete operational

third stage of cognitive development; lasts about from 7 to 11 years; develops the ability to think logically about physical objects and understand simple mathematical concepts

conservation

the understanding that the shape of an object does not always correspond to its mass, volume, or value; develops by the age of 8

formal operational

fourth stage of cognitive development; lasts from 12 years through adulthood; ability to think about abstract and hypothetical concepts, ability to think strategically about actions far in the future