According to Piaget, the second stage of cognitive development is:

Concept

Piaget's stage theory describes qualitative changes in how children think. Each stage has a characteristic form of reasoning that develops in a fixed sequence.

The sequence progresses from learning through sensory and motor action to symbolic thought, then concrete logic, and finally abstract reasoning.

Application

Match each stage with its usual age range and cognitive pattern:

1. Sensorimotor stage: birth to about 2 years; learning through sensory experience and motor action.

2. Preoperational stage: about 2 to 7 years; symbolic thought and language expand, while reasoning remains intuitive.

3. Concrete operational stage: about 7 to 11 years; logical operations apply to concrete objects and events.

4. Formal operational stage: about 12 years onward; abstract and hypothetical reasoning develops.

Contrast

• Sensorimotor belongs at the start of the sequence, before symbolic thought.

• Concrete operational follows preoperational and introduces logic for concrete situations.

• Formal operational is the final stage and centers on abstract reasoning.

Cross-check

Ordering the age ranges gives birth to 2 years, 2 to 7 years, 7 to 11 years, and 12 years onward. The stage occupying the second interval is the preoperational stage.

Result

Therefore, the second stage of cognitive development is the preoperational stage.