Infant underestimation: Piaget's preoperational stage: Does it do children a disservice?

  Critics of Piaget theory of cognitive development has been a cornerstone of our understanding of how children learn and grow. However, his classification of the preoperational stage, roughly between the ages of 2 and 7, has faced criticism for potentially underestimating the abilities of infants. This article will examine Piaget's theory, delve into the criticisms it has received, and explore recent research that suggests infants may have a much deeper understanding of the world than previously thought. Finally, we explore the implications of these findings for our understanding of child development. Critics of Piaget's preoperational stage   Piaget's theory proposes that children in the preoperational stage lack the ability to think logically and understand object permanence—the concept that objects continue to exist even when they are out of sight. However, critics argue that Piaget's methods, which often relied on observing and questioning older children, may ...