TABLE 2.3 Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive DevelopmentPrimary schemes or methodsApproximate age Stage of representing experience Major developmentsBirth to 2 years Sensorimotor Infants use sensory and motor capabilities to explore Infants acquire a primitive sense of “self” and “others,” and gain a basic understanding of the environment. learn that objects continue to exist when they are out At birth they have only innate refl exes with which to of sight (object permanence), and begin to internalize engage the world. By the end of the sensorimotor behavioral schemes to produce images or mental period, they are capable of complex sensorimotor schemes. coordinations.2 to 7 years Preoperational Children use symbolism (images and language) to Children become imaginative in their play activities. represent and understand various aspects of the They gradually begin to recognize that other people environment. They respond to objects and events may not always perceive the world as they do. according to the way things appear to be. Thought is egocentric, meaning that children think everyone sees the world in much the same way that they do.7 to 11–12 years Concrete operations Children acquire and use cognitive operations Children are no longer fooled by appearances. By (mental activities that are components of logical relying on cognitive operations, they understand the thought). basic properties of and relations among objects and events in the everyday world. They are becoming much more profi cient at inferring motives by observing others’ behavior and the circumstances in which it occurs.11–12 years and Formal operations Adolescents’ cognitive operations are reorganized Logical thinking is no longer limited to the concretebeyond in a way that permits them to operate on operations or the observable. Adolescents enjoy pondering (think about thinking). Thought is now systematic hypothetical issues and, as a result, may become and abstract. rather idealistic. They are capable of systematic, deductive reasoning that permits them to consider many possible solutions to a problem and to pick the correct answer.