What are Piaget's four stages of cognitive development?

Piaget's theory of cognitive development is grounded in the idea that children progress through a series of stages that shape their understanding of the world around them. The four stages outlined in the correct answer are foundational to his theory:

1. Sensorimotor Stage (birth to approximately 2 years): In this stage, infants learn about the world through their senses and actions. They develop object permanence, which is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen.

2. Preoperational Stage (ages 2 to 7): During this phase, children begin to use language to explore their ideas and represent objects with words and images. However, their thinking is still egocentric, meaning they have difficulty understanding perspectives other than their own.

3. Concrete Operational Stage (ages 7 to 11): At this point, children start to think logically about concrete events. They gain a better understanding of the concept of conservation—that is, the understanding that quantity does not change even when its shape does.

4. Formal Operational Stage (ages 12 and up): In this final stage, individuals develop the ability to think abstractly, reason logically, and use deductive reasoning. They can consider hypothetical