Piaget's Theory of Cognitive development refers to the perspective proposed by Jean Piaget (1896 to 1980) that thinking develops in a sequence of stages. Piaget believed that children naturally try to make sense of their world, both the physical and social world from infancy, adolescence and beyond.
According to Piaget, there are four (4) stages in Cognitive development: 1. Sensorimotor stage from birth to 2 years, when an infant's knowledge of the world is based on senses and motor skills and mental resentation is use by the end of the period. 2. Pre-operational stage from 2 to 6 years, when the child learns how to use symbols as words and numbers to represent aspects of the world, but relates to the world only through his/her perspective. 3. Concrete-operational stage from 7 years to early adolescence, when child undersatnds and applies logical operations to experiences provided they are focused on the here and now. 4. Formal operational stage from adolescence and beyod, a period when adolescent or adult thinks absractly: deals with hypothetical situations; and speculates about waht may be possible