In which stage do infants begin to develop symbolic thought?

In the context of cognitive development, the stage during which infants begin to develop symbolic thought is the sensorimotor stage. This stage typically occurs from birth to approximately two years of age, as proposed by Jean Piaget. During the sensorimotor stage, infants learn about the world primarily through their senses and motor actions.

Although symbolic thought begins to emerge at the end of this stage, it is characterized by the development of mental representations that enable infants to understand that one object can stand for another. For example, seeing a picture of a dog may evoke the idea of an actual dog. This cognitive advancement sets the foundation for later stages of development where children can manipulate symbols and engage in more complex mental processes.

In contrast, the preoperational stage follows the sensorimotor stage (approximately ages two to seven), during which symbolic thought becomes more pronounced, but it is still developing. The concrete operational stage (ages seven to eleven) involves logical thinking about concrete objects but lacks the abstract reasoning found in the following formal operational stage (ages twelve and up). Therefore, understanding the progression of cognitive development makes it clear why the sensorimotor stage is where the early roots of symbolic thought begin to appear.