preoperational stage
the second major period in the Piagetian theory of cognitive development, occurring approximately between the ages of 2 and 7, when the child becomes able to record experience in a symbolic fashion and to represent an object, event, or feeling in speech, movement, drawing, and the like. The child’s thought processes tend to be intuitive and prelogical. During the later 2 years of the preoperational stage, egocentrism diminishes noticeably with the emerging ability to adopt the point of view of others. Also called symbolic stage. See also concrete operational stage; formal operational stage; sensorimotor stage.