Which stage of Piaget's cognitive development occurs last?

The stage of Piaget's cognitive development that occurs last is the formal operational stage. This stage typically begins around the age of 12 and continues into adulthood. During this period, individuals develop the ability to think abstractly, reason logically, and use deductive reasoning. They can formulate hypotheses and consider possible outcomes, which marks a significant advancement in cognitive capabilities compared to the earlier stages.

In contrast, earlier stages such as the sensorimotor stage (from birth to about 2 years), preoperational stage (approximately 2 to 7 years), and concrete operational stage (from about 7 to 12 years) are characterized by more concrete and less abstract forms of thinking. For example, in the sensorimotor stage, children learn through their senses and actions, while during the preoperational stage, children begin using language but still struggle with understanding the perspectives of others and manipulating ideas in their mind. The concrete operational stage introduces logical thought but is still tied to physical and concrete objects rather than abstract concepts.

Thus, the formal operational stage represents the culmination of Piaget's stages, where individuals can engage in more sophisticated cognitive processes, making it the final stage in his theory of cognitive development.