Stages of intellectual development: characteristics including object permanence, conservation, egocentrism and class inclusion
Piaget argued that children think differently at different ages. Each stage of development has distinct mental abilities and limitations, such as understanding that objects still exist when hidden.
Real World
Piaget's three mountains task demonstrated egocentrism: young children assumed a doll sitting opposite them saw the same view they did — an error Piaget argued reflects the preoperational stage's cognitive limitations.
Exam Focus
Name the specific stage, age range, and a named task or study for each characteristic — vague stage descriptions rarely achieve full marks.
Evaluation Scaffold
A four-step framework for high-quality evaluation. Use this for 'assess', 'evaluate', and 'to what extent' questions.
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