Formal Operational Thinking Writing Assignment

Formal Operational Thinking
Name
Institution
Formal Operational Thinking
Formal operational thinking is described by Vainikainen et al. (2015) as the final phase of the theory of cognitive development as advanced by Jean Piaget. Considering the fact that this developmental stage commences when the child attains the age of 12 years and proceeds into adulthood, Oliver and Venville (2017) explain that the thinking processes develop towards sophistication. The child’s ability to synthesize operational concepts that are theoretical and those that depict some degrees of abstractness is cultivated in this stage. According to Lourenço (2016), children pursuing the formal operational stage inculcate the competencies that enable them towards thinking logically, reasoning based on deductions and the ability to initiate systematic planning. For instance, children in the formal operational thinking stage are highly capable of establishing the desired outcomes by applying generalized principles; demystifying the probable results of an activity as opposed to being reliant on past experiences; and the potencies of applying logical frameworks and methodologies in solving problems. As a consequence, hypothetico-deductive reasoning among children pursuing the formal operational thinking phase of development tend to ponder “what if” questions (Oliver and Venville (2017). The current study seeks to undertake a critical analysis of the formal operational thinking phase of cognitive development by reviewing the researches established to explain adolescent egocentric thoughts.
Formal operational thinking is an inevitable stage in the development of an adolescent. However, the developmental stage is influenced by multiple contextual factors. For instance, Vainikainen et al. (2015) explain that the child’s general experiences, ability to grasp concepts as well as his/her memory capacity act as critical factors in promoting or deterring formal operational thinking. Lourenço (2016) attributes such increments in the child’s working memory as the main reason as to why older adolescents are highly capable of embracing and applying pro...