Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development (with Ages)

Question 1

Some People Can Fly

Answer 1

Sensorimotor/Preoperational/Concrete Operational/Formal Operational

Question 2

Sensorimotor (Birth–2 years)

Answer 2

Learn through senses and actions
Develop object permanence

Question 3

Preoperational (2–7 years)

Answer 3

Symbolic thinking, imagination
Egocentrism, lack of logical reasoning

Question 4

Concrete Operational (7–11 years)

Answer 4

Logical thinking about concrete events
Understand conservation and reversibility

Question 5

Formal Operational (12+ years)

Answer 5

Abstract reasoning, hypothetical thinking
Problem-solving and future planning

Question 6

Sensorimotor Stage (Birth–2 years)

Answer 6

How babies learn:
At this age, babies learn by using their senses—touching, seeing, tasting, and moving. They don’t think with words or ideas yet. They explore the world by grabbing, shaking, putting things in their mouth, and crawling around.

Big milestone:
They start to understand that things exist even when they can’t see them—like when you hide a toy, and they know it’s still there (this is called object permanence).

Question 7

Preoperational Stage (2–7 years)

Answer 7

They’re often very focused on themselves (egocentric), meaning they may not realize others see things differently.
They might believe that toys or objects have feelings (“my teddy bear is sad”).
They struggle with understanding size, volume, or the idea that something can be the same even if it looks different (like pouring the same water into a taller glass and thinking there’s more).

Question 8

Concrete Operational Stage (7–11 years)

Answer 8

At this point, kids start to think more logically—but only about real, concrete things (not abstract ideas). They understand cause and effect, can organize things by categories, and start to see other people’s perspectives better.

What they can do now:

Grasp that quantity stays the same even if it looks different (conservation)
Think through problems step by step
Understand time, space, and numbers in a clearer way

Question 9

Formal Operational Stage (12+ years)

Answer 9

Now thinking becomes more advanced. Teens can think about abstract ideas, like justice, love, or the future. They can do hypothetical thinking (“what if…”), plan ahead, and understand complex problems.

What changes here:
They can imagine different possibilities and outcomes
They can form their own opinions and think more deeply
They start to understand that problems can have multiple solutions