In Piaget's pre-operational stage, which key characteristic do toddlers exhibit?

In Piaget's pre-operational stage, which typically occurs between the ages of 2 and 7, toddlers exhibit symbolic thinking as a key characteristic. This means that children in this stage begin to use symbols, such as words and images, to represent objects and concepts. This ability allows them to engage in pretend play, use language more effectively, and communicate their thoughts and feelings through symbols.

Symbolic thinking indicates a shift from a reliance on sensory experiences to a more imaginative form of thinking. Toddlers can represent their world in ways that are not directly tied to their immediate experiences, which lays the foundation for more complex cognitive processes as they develop.

While logical reasoning, abstract thought, and concrete problem-solving are important cognitive skills, they typically emerge in later stages of development, particularly in the concrete operational stage, which follows the pre-operational stage. For instance, toddlers are still developing their reasoning skills and may not yet fully understand cause and effect or conservation of volume and number, which are signs of more advanced stages of cognitive reasoning. Thus, symbolic thinking is the defining characteristic of the pre-operational stage, highlighting the developmental transition to more abstract ways of understanding their environment.