AAMC FL Practice Exam

Symbolic thinking primarily develops between the ages of 2 and 6 years, coinciding with the preoperational stage of cognitive development as proposed by Jean Piaget. During this period, children start to use symbols to represent objects or events. They engage in imaginative play, use language to express thoughts and ideas, and can understand that one thing can represent another, which is fundamental to symbolic thought.

Children in this age range begin to use words and images to represent their experiences, which marks a significant cognitive milestone. They also start to engage in pretend play, using their imagination to create scenarios and characters that are not physically present, illustrating their ability to think abstractly and representationally.

In contrast, earlier ages, such as 0-2 years, are characterized by sensorimotor exploration without the use of symbols. The ages of 6-11 years see the development of concrete operational thinking, where children begin to think logically about concrete events but still struggle with abstract or hypothetical concepts. At 12 years and older, individuals enter the formal operational stage, where abstract thinking becomes more pronounced but this does not primarily focus on developing symbolic thought itself. Therefore, the age range of 2-6 years is critical for the foundational development of