What does Piaget’s cognitive development theory emphasize?

Piaget’s cognitive development theory emphasizes that children’s thinking develops through distinct stages, highlighting the progression of cognitive abilities as they mature. According to Piaget, these stages—sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational—are universal and occur in a specific sequence, with each stage representing a new level of cognitive processing and understanding of the world.

During each stage, children engage in different types of thinking and reasoning. For instance, in the sensorimotor stage, infants learn through their senses and actions, while in the concrete operational stage, children begin to think logically about concrete events. This framework helps educators and caregivers understand the cognitive capabilities of children at various ages and how to support their intellectual growth effectively.

The other options, while relating to aspects of child development, do not capture the central focus of Piaget’s theory. Language development, social relationships, and emotional impacts on cognition are important in their own right but do not align with the core principle of cognitive development being staged and systematic as articulated by Piaget.