What are the four stages of cognitive development and their approximate ages?

What are the four stages of cognitive development and their approximate ages?

• A. Sensorimotor (0-2), Preoperational (2-7), Concrete-operational (7-11), Formal Operations (11+)
• B. Sensorimotor (3-5), Preoperational (5-9), Concrete (9-12), Formal (12+)
• C. Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, Quaternary
• D. Infancy, Childhood, Adolescence, Adulthood

Answer: (A)

Understanding Piaget's stages of cognitive development explains how children's thinking shifts as they grow. The sequence begins with the sensorimotor stage, from birth to about two years, where learning happens through sensory experiences and motor actions and object permanence begins to appear. Then comes the preoperational stage, roughly ages two to seven, when children start using symbols and language but think in egocentric and intuitive ways, not yet grasping logical operations such as conservation. Next is the concrete operational stage, about ages seven to eleven, where logical thinking about concrete objects and events emerges, along with abilities like conservation, classification, and reversibility. Finally, the formal operational stage starts around eleven or twelve and continues into adulthood, bringing abstract reasoning, hypothetical thinking, and systematic planning. That combination aligns with Piaget’s framework, listing the four stages with their approximate ages. The other options don’t fit because they either mix in noncognitive-life terms or give incorrect age ranges, which aren’t consistent with how Piaget described cognitive development.

Understanding Piaget's stages of cognitive development explains how children's thinking shifts as they grow. The sequence begins with the sensorimotor stage, from birth to about two years, where learning happens through sensory experiences and motor actions and object permanence begins to appear. Then comes the preoperational stage, roughly ages two to seven, when children start using symbols and language but think in egocentric and intuitive ways, not yet grasping logical operations such as conservation. Next is the concrete operational stage, about ages seven to eleven, where logical thinking about concrete objects and events emerges, along with abilities like conservation, classification, and reversibility. Finally, the formal operational stage starts around eleven or twelve and continues into adulthood, bringing abstract reasoning, hypothetical thinking, and systematic planning.

That combination aligns with Piaget’s framework, listing the four stages with their approximate ages. The other options don’t fit because they either mix in noncognitive-life terms or give incorrect age ranges, which aren’t consistent with how Piaget described cognitive development.