Concrete Operational Cognition

Summary

The Concrete Operational stage of development is the third of Jean Piaget’s stages of cognitive development. Children are in this stage from ages 7-11: you should think grade-school aged kids. In this stage, children develop the principle of conservation. That is to say, these kids understand that a given amount of liquid is conserved when it is poured from one container into another container of a different size.

Key Points

• Concrete Operational
  • Period: 7 - 11 years (grade school children)
  • Understands conservation 
    • E.g. The total amount of liquid is conserved when poured between two differently shaped cups
    • Can grasp concrete analogies/relations
  • Mathematics/Arithmetic competence develops

Can categorize objects (e.g. cars, trucks → automobiles)