What is the main characteristic of the preoperational stage?

The preoperational stage, as defined by Jean Piaget, is characterized primarily by egocentrism and symbolic thinking. During this stage, which typically spans from ages 2 to 7, children begin to engage in imaginative play and develop the ability to use symbols, such as words and images, to represent objects and experiences. Egocentrism refers to the difficulty children at this stage have in seeing things from perspectives other than their own; they often assume that others share their view of the world.

In addition to egocentrism, symbolic thinking allows children to create and understand complex representations. For example, a child may use a stick as a sword or represent a box as a car during play. This imaginative capability is a hallmark of the preoperational stage and contrasts sharply with later stages of cognitive development, where logical reasoning and more structured thinking begin to take precedence. This focus on symbolic play and egocentrism sums up the unique cognitive attributes of the preoperational stage effectively.