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Emerging Cognition: An Analysis of Piaget’s Preoperational Stage

Introduction

Jean Piaget, a theorist of cognitive development, suggests that kids pass through several stages listed as four. Of them all, the preoperational stage, which takes place between the ages of 2 and 7, is by far the most significant. The following paragraphs will contain an analysis of this period of development. I will concisely outline the preoperational stage, spanning from the ages of 2 to 7 years, and state language development and symbolic thinking as the milestones. I will describe these key features like egocentrism and the intuitive way, which is one of the main ones. I will illustrate the behavioral characteristics of adolescents by using real-life cases as examples. I will relate the preoperational stage to the earlier sensorimotor stage and later concrete operational stage while showing its transitional nature. Understanding the preoperational stage is a decisive factor for early childhood education, the development of emotions, and worldview. As a result, the parents, teachers, and guardians can make the right choice for the child’s development when he is in this decisive moment. In my essay, I will delve into the preoperational stage with clarity.

Overview of the Preoperational Stage

The preoperational stage covers the ages of 2 to 7, during which rapid intellectual development occurs (Babakr et al., 2019). The main characteristics are the development of the language capacity so that the child can use symbols to name objects and ideas. By this time, a child is already capable of imaginative play. However, thinking is selfish and irrational. Kids selectively use the section of the environment in which they are involved and are incapable of multidimensional simultaneous understanding. This may be shown in how the child only thinks of the cup’s height, not its width.

The empathy problem lies in the inability to grasp the situations of others in which they may see things differently. Besides this, concrete thought reflects the animistic and magical way of thinking when people attribute human characteristics to objects and believe that their thoughts and wishes determine the outcome. While the gains in representation are achieved, the underlying mechanisms, such as centration, irreversibility, and egocentrism, remain. Children begin to reason logically and comprehend things concretely at 7, the next stage. Yet, the preoperational stage underpins fundamental cognitive abilities. Learn how preoperational thinking is characterized and its limitations so that caregivers, teachers, and others can tailor their activities to improve and fit the development.

Explanation of the Stage

A vital aspect of the preoperational stage is language development, which children can use to symbolize different objects and thoughts. This leads to make-believe, as children can use one thing to represent the other. Constructing cohesive and convincing college application essays requires creativity and attention to detail. This essay will discuss critical strategies students can employ to create a compelling and authentic college application essay. Yet, the child’s thoughts center on himself and are not reasonable. Concentration leads children to look at the object or situation from a one-dimensional angle, just like noticing the cup’s height but not its width.

Furthermore, the children at this stage have not developed the theory of mind; therefore, they cannot understand that different people may have other points of view. Perspective-taking is underdeveloped. Magical thinking that persists instinctively is seen in the thought that our wishes and thoughts have a hand in the outcome. With the help of language, the symbolic play progresses; however, at the same time, cognition is still at its early stage. Ego-centrality and centration are the ones who are incompatible with logical thinking and flexibility. By seven years of age, the ability to think concretely begins to grow. The awareness of the kids’ thought patterns is beneficial for the parents and the teachers to design activities appropriate to the kids’ level at this stage. The stage illustrates the character’s growth through his creative skills despite declining cognitive capacity.

Comparison to Other Stages

The preoperational stage develops from the previous sensorimotor stage when the child learns through the senses and motor actions (Bekir, 2020). While a sensorimotor child has no symbols and language, they know the objects will be present even if they are no longer visible. The preoperational stage builds intellect through symbolic presentation and pretending to play. Although the level of thinking is still lower than that at the following stages, it is okay. In the subsequent concrete operational stage, children utilize logical and organized thinking to sort out the objects and understand concrete concepts. Egocentrism declines. In the formal active stage, abstract thinking, such as hypothesis testing and systematic analysis, is possible.

On the contrary, the formal operational thinking characteristic of latter-stage individuals is based on systematic and logical deduction, not intuition. This preoperational stage is the beginning of Piaget’s theory of psychological development, but later stages show rational thinking to the fullest extent. Observing the preoperational stage of cognitive development against those before and after is a remarkable way of showing that cognitive abilities are developed gradually, with each stage expanding its limits while still having some constraints. The preoperational stage is critical in the developmental process that involves understanding the sensory foundations and the ability to reason logically (Siregar & Lubis, 2023).

Examples

Several instances point out the main drawback of the preoperational stage. Role-play takes its shape when the children learn to understand symbolic representation; thus, they can use the objects as props. In addition, a child could act like he is talking on a peeled banana like a phone. While the children at this stage of development can reason out in concrete terms, they lack conservation. If they are presented with a shallow and narrow cup or a high and narrow cup holding the same amount, the kids usually think only about one dimension, for instance, height. They overlook that it is not a matter of variety in shape or position that determines quantity.

Besides, the child has yet to develop perspective-taking skills in the preoperational age. If shown a picture and asked what the other person will see, they cannot fathom or be in a position to think that the other’s perspective may not align with their egocentric viewpoint. Making progress in symbolic play and language holds meaning, but the child must demonstrate conservation, animism, irreversibility, and egocentrism. Understanding these cognitive limitations makes it possible for parents and teachers to design and execute teaching activities that allow the kids to master and utilize the cognitive abilities of the preoperational period.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the preoperational stage is characterized by the growth of symbolic play and linguistic ability, but at the same time, the child still thinks in egocentric, illogical ways. This is the beginning of a learning process that has limitations, which are cognitive ones. Such limitations in children’s behavior are connected with the fact that they are at this stage. This stage is the base on which abstract and logical reasoning abilities are built.

References

Babakr, Z., Mohamedamin, P., & Kakamad, K. (2019). Piaget’s cognitive developmental theory: Critical review. Education Quarterly Reviews, 2(3).

Bekir, H. (2020). Early Child Development. In Handbook of Research on Prenatal, Postnatal, and Early Childhood Development (pp. 181-196). IGI Global.

Siregar, S., & Lubis, A. N. M. T. (2023). STAGES OF EARLY CHILDHOOD COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT: THE FOUNDATION OF INTELLECTUAL GROWTH. Jurnal Scientia, 12(04), 2297-2303.

 

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