PRE-OPERATIONS o Tends to be absolute instead of relative o 2-5ish years of age o Example: sticks are either long or they’re short – not longER or shortER o Tends to focus on individual characteristics one thing at a timeo Don’t make connections between events or see common denominators among objects o Cannot realize transformations in objects o 4 domains1. Egocentrism of perspective taking a. Assumption of physical – what I see is what everyone else sees b. “The 3 mountain problem”i. Walk kid around and look at all sides of mountains, then as kid what they see on one side then asks what the other person seeson the other sideii. Kids say what they see for both c. In hide and seek: “if I can’t see you, you can’t see me”d. More psychological perspective: “what I want is what everyone wants”e. Can see carryovers in a much more sophisticated level; even as adults we assume that how we react to situations is how everyone will react 2. Concepts of causalitya. Finalismi. Everything has a final causeb. Artificialism i. Something causes everythingii. Nothing is random iii. Everything has psychological meaning or purpose iv. Two type of “why’s”1. Physical 2. Psychologicalv. For young children, these go together c. Animism i. Belief that things are alive that educated, western adults don’t believe are alive ii. If it can change state, it’s alive1. Light, it can turn off and on iii. If it moves, it’s alive1. Bicycles 2. Cars 3. Egocentrism of languagea. Language which is not that interactiveb. Does not appear to respond to what the other person knowsc. Collective monologues – 3 yr olds; basically talking to herself; two babies looking like they’re having a conversation but what’s being talked about has nothing to do with each other; idea that if someone says something you have to say something backd. Don’t recognize what you do or do not know 4. Qualitative identity or appearance-reality a. If you change what something looks like, does it turn into literally something else all the time? b. Example: Halloween; daddy is dressed as a pirate, and 3 year old is terrified because daddy has turned into another