What stage of Piaget's cognitive development occurs from 2 to 7 years of age?

The stage of cognitive development that occurs from 2 to 7 years of age is known as the Preoperational stage. During this phase, children begin to engage in symbolic play and learn to manipulate symbols, which reflects the development of language and imagination. They start to use words and images to represent things not present, showcasing a growing ability to think about objects or events in their mind rather than through direct interactions.

Children in this stage exhibit a characteristic tendency toward egocentrism, where they can have difficulty understanding perspectives that differ from their own. Their thinking is also intuitive rather than logical, meaning they may struggle with understanding the concept of conservation—the idea that certain properties of objects, like volume and mass, remain the same even if their form changes. This stage lays the groundwork for more advanced thinking that develops in later stages.

In contrast, other stages such as Concrete Operational and Formal Operational, which come after the Preoperational phase, involve more logical thinking and the ability to handle abstract concepts. The Sensorimotor stage, which precedes the Preoperational stage, is focused on learning through sensory experiences and physical interactions with the world, emphasizing motor responses over the symbolic thought that characterizes the Preoperational stage.