Preoperational Children

Definition

Preoperational children refer to the stage of cognitive development, according to Piaget's theory, between ages 2 and 7 where children are unable to think logically and struggle with understanding others' perspectives.

Related terms

Theory of Mind:

The ability to understand that others may have different thoughts, beliefs, and perspectives than our own.

Egocentrism:

A characteristic of preoperational thinking where children can only see things from their own point of view and struggle with understanding other people's thoughts or feelings.

Centration: Another error made by preoperational children where they focus on just one aspect or feature of an object or situation while ignoring other relevant aspects.