What is Jean Piaget's theory called?

• A. The Four Stages of Cognitive Development
• B. Behavioral Learning Theory
• C. Attachment Theory
• D. Sociocultural Theory

Answer: (A)

Piaget’s work describes how children's thinking changes in a sequence of distinct stages, with each stage bringing qualitative shifts in how they understand the world. That’s why the theory is called The Four Stages of Cognitive Development: it emphasizes these four major periods in which thinking reorganizes.

In the sensorimotor stage, from birth to about two years, knowledge comes through interacting with the world and acting on objects, and object permanence begins to appear. The preoperational stage, roughly ages two to seven, brings rapid language growth and symbolic thought, but thinking is still egocentric and not yet logical. The concrete operational stage, about seven to eleven, marks the development of logical thinking about concrete events and an understanding of concepts like conservation. The formal operational stage, starting around adolescence, introduces abstract reasoning and hypothetical thinking. Piaget also discusses how children adapt their thinking through assimilation and accommodation to achieve equilibration.

Other options point to theories that focus on different ideas—observing and reinforcing behavior (Behavioral Learning Theory), the importance of early emotional bonds (Attachment Theory), or social and cultural tools shaping learning (Sociocultural Theory). Piaget’s framework is distinct in its focus on internal cognitive development across these four stages.