The egocentrism of preschoolers was most strongly emphasized by:

The egocentrism of preschoolers was most strongly emphasized by:

a. Harlow’s attachment theory.

b. Kohlberg’s moral development theory.

c. Piaget’s cognitive development theory.

d. Erikson’s psychosocial development theory.

Answer. c. Piaget’s cognitive development theory.

According to Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, egocentrism is an important concept in the preoperational period of early childhood (its onset is around ages 2-7). Egocentrism is the human inability of the young to perceive that their perspectives are not identical with those of others. A whole lot of what Piaget saw in preschool was that children find understanding other people’s different views, ideas, and perceptions difficult at this age. This mental phenomenon is a feature of the pre-operational stage, that is the thinking functioning mainly based on children’s own experiences and perspectives. Piaget’s understanding of egocentrism in pre-schoolers was a very meaningful addition to our knowledge of cognitive development as well as the gradual, slow evolution from “self centered” to more logical thinking in late phases of childhood.