Final answer:
Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development describes how children's thinking and reasoning evolve through four main stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. These stages track qualitative changes in cognitive abilities as children interact with the world, constructing knowledge and adapting their schemata through processes of assimilation and accommodation. Despite its influence, some of Piaget's ideas have been updated by more recent research suggesting continuous aspects of cognitive development.
Step-by-step explanation:
Jean Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development
Jean Piaget was a pioneering psychologist who specialized in child development and is known for his theory of cognitive development which outlines how children's thinking progresses through distinct stages. Piaget proposed that cognitive development unfolds in four stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. Each stage represents a qualitative change in how children understand and interact with the world.
During the sensorimotor stage (birth through age 2), children experience the world through their senses and motor actions. An important milestone of this stage is the development of object permanence. The preoperational stage (ages 2 to 7) is characterized by the use of symbols and language, yet thinking is intuitive and egocentric. The concrete operational stage (ages 7 to 11) shows an improvement in logical thinking but is limited to concrete situations. Lastly, the formal operational stage (age 11 and up) introduces the ability to think abstractly and hypothetically.
Piaget emphasized how children's thinking develops independently and they construct knowledge through interaction with the world, constantly creating and adjusting schemata via assimilation and accommodation. Assimilation is integrating new information into existing schemes, whereas accommodation involves modifying schemata when new information doesn't fit.
Though influential, Piaget's stage theory has been augmented by findings indicating a more continuous development process and that some cognitive abilities may appear earlier than Piaget originally proposed.