Development of the capacity for abstract scientific thinking is a characteristic of

Jean Piaget in his Cognitive Development Theory, gave four stages of development. (i) Sensori-motor Stage This is the first stage during this stage, infants are busy discovering relationship between their bodies and the environment. (ii) Pre-operational Stage It ranges from about age 2 to 7 years. The child in this stage is pre (before) operations. This means child cannot use logic or transform, combine or separate ideas. (iii) Concrete-operational Stage This is 3rd stage and most children will enter this stage around age of 7 years and complete prior to eleven. In this child is capable of performing a variety of mental operations and thoughts using concrete concepts. (iv) Formal-operational Stage is 4th stage and begins at about age of 11 years. In this, as adolescents enter this stage, they (children) gain the ability to think in abstract manner.