ABSTRACT
Using extensive scientific data garnered from children of all ages, Piaget proposed a seminal model of cognitive development. According to the model, children’s cognitive abilities developed through four different stages until formal logic was acquired in adolescents. Piaget assumed that children between two and seven years of age were mainly illogical in comparison to adults. However, he underestimated the rich, precocious, logical knowledge that was already present in babies and young children. In addition, he overestimated the logical abilities of adolescents and adults, who commit systematic errors, even during simple logical tasks, depending on the context. Consequently, the theory of discrete Piagetian stages has been replaced by an approach to development that is analogous to overlapping cognitive waves within a non-linear dynamic system.
