What is a major focus of Jean Piaget's work?

Jean Piaget's work primarily centers on the psychology of intelligence, particularly how children acquire knowledge and the stages of cognitive development they undergo. He proposed that children move through four stages of cognitive development—sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational—each characterized by different ways of thinking and understanding the world. His research emphasizes not just what children know, but how they learn and reason, fundamentally reshaping our understanding of childhood intelligence and cognitive growth.

While other areas such as social development, emotional stability, and language acquisition are important aspects of child development, they do not encapsulate the core focus of Piaget's theories. His contributions brought significant insights into cognitive processes, influencing educational practices and child psychology by highlighting that children's thinking evolves systematically as they interact with their environment.