The preoperational stage, the second of Jean Piaget's four stages of cognitive development, spans approximately ages 2 to 7 and is characterized by the emergence of symbolic thinking. During this stage, children use language, images, and symbols to represent objects and concepts, enabling them to engage in imaginative and pretend play. This symbolic thinking supports children's ability to perform make-believe actions, such as imagining a broom as a horse or their hand as a phone, blending reality with fantasy in their play.

Limitations in Logical Thinking

Despite this newfound symbolic ability, children in the preoperational stage encounter limitations in logic and reasoning, mainly due to their reliance on intuition over abstract thought. Piaget observed that children at this stage struggle with the concept of conservation — the understanding that certain properties, such as mass, volume, or number, remain constant despite changes in an object's appearance. For example, when shown a tall, narrow glass and a short, wide glass containing the same amount of liquid, children often believe the taller glass holds more. This misconception arises from their focus on visual cues rather than a rational quantity assessment.

Egocentrism in Perspective

Another defining feature of the preoperational stage is egocentrism, or the child's difficulty in viewing situations from perspectives other than their own. This is evident in their interactions, as young children often assume their personal likes, dislikes, or viewpoints are universally shared. For instance, a child might offer their favorite toy to comfort a friend, believing the friend values it similarly.

Piaget's preoperational stage highlights both the cognitive advancements and the limitations in young children's thinking, offering insight into how symbolic thought lays the foundation for more complex reasoning skills developed in later stages.