What stage of cognitive development follows the sensorimotor stage according to Piaget?

The stage of cognitive development that follows the sensorimotor stage, as proposed by Jean Piaget, is the preoperational stage. During the preoperational stage, which typically spans ages 2 to 7 years, children begin to engage in symbolic play and learn to manipulate symbols, although they do not yet understand concrete logic. This stage is characterized by the development of language and imagination, enabling children to engage in play that involves symbols and to think about things in more abstract terms, even if they lack the ability for operational thought, which includes reasoning through operations mentally.

In the previous sensorimotor stage, infants learn through interacting with their environment using their senses and motor actions. The transition to the preoperational stage marks a significant shift where children start to think about and represent the world in new, imaginative ways, indicating a crucial step in cognitive development.

The other stages mentioned, such as concrete operational and formal operational, occur later in Piaget's theory, with concrete operational beginning around age 7 and involving more logical thinking about concrete events, while formal operational, which begins in adolescence, involves abstract reasoning and systematic planning. The term "developmental" does not pertain to a specific stage in Piaget's model. Understanding