Key Takeaways
- The formal operational stage starts at age 12 and continues into adulthood, allowing for more complex thinking.
- Teenagers in this stage develop logical thought, deductive reasoning, and systematic planning skills.
- Hypothetical and abstract thinking skills are important developments during the formal operational stage.
The teen years are a time of significant changes and challenges. At this age, kids are not just changing physically, socially, and emotionally; they are also going through a period of important intellectual development. They think about complex social issues and abstract theoretical problems in ways that they just weren’t capable of during early periods of development.
This period, known as the formal operational stage, is the fourth and final stage of Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. It begins at approximately age 12 and lasts into adulthood.
During the formal operational stage, children’s thinking becomes much more sophisticated and advanced. They can consider abstract and theoretical concepts and use logic to devise creative solutions to problems. Skills such as logical thought, deductive reasoning, and systematic planning also emerge during this stage.
Illustration by Brianna Gilmartin, Verywell
Piaget tested formal operational thought in a few different ways. Two of the better-known tests explored physical conceptualization and the abstraction of thought.
Balance in the Formal Operational Stage
One task involved having children of different ages balance a scale by hooking weights on each end. To balance the scale, the children needed to understand that both the heaviness of the weights and the distance from the center played a role.
- Younger children around the ages of 3 and 5 could not complete the task because they did not understand the concept of balance.
- Seven-year-olds knew that they could adjust the scale by placing weights on each end but failed to understand that where they put the weights was also important.
- By age 10, the kids considered location and weight but had to arrive at the correct answer using trial and error.
It wasn’t until around age 13 that children could use logic to form a hypothesis about where to place the weights to balance the scale and then complete the task.
Abstraction in the Formal Operational Stage
In another experiment on formal operational thought, Piaget asked children to imagine where they would want to place a third eye if they had one.
Younger children said that they would put the imagined third eye in the middle of their forehead. Older children, however, were able to come up with a variety of creative ideas about where to place this hypothetical eye and various ways the eye could be used.
For example, an eye in the middle of one’s hand would be useful for looking around corners. An eye at the back of one’s head could be helpful for seeing what is happening in the background.
Creative ideas represent the use of abstract and hypothetical thinking, both important indicators of formal operational thought.
Formal Operational Stage Skills
During the formal operational stage, teens develop a range of important cognitive skills that influence how they think and engage with the world. They gain the ability to think more abstractly, consider hypothetical scenarios, and reason more logically. These skills help them grasp more complex concepts in areas like math and science.
At this point in development, teenagers can tackle more complex issues, engage in complex moral reasoning, plan for the future, and think critically about social issues. Such developments help set the stage for thinking and decision-making in adulthood.
Deductive Logic
Piaget believed that deductive reasoning becomes necessary during the formal operational stage. Deductive logic requires the ability to use a general principle to determine a particular outcome. Science and mathematics often require this type of thinking about hypothetical situations and concepts.
Abstract Thought
While children tend to think very concretely and specifically in earlier stages, the ability to think about abstract concepts emerges during the formal operational stage. Instead of relying solely on previous experiences, children begin to consider possible outcomes and consequences of actions. This type of thinking is important in long-term planning.
Problem-Solving
In earlier stages, children used trial-and-error to solve problems. During the formal operational stage, the ability to systematically solve a problem in a logical and methodical way emerges. Children at the formal operational stage of cognitive development are often able to plan quickly an organized approach to solving a problem.
Hypothetical-Deductive Reasoning
Piaget believed that what he referred to as “hypothetical-deductive reasoning” was essential at this stage of intellectual development. At this point, teens become capable of thinking about abstract and hypothetical ideas. They often ponder “what-if” type situations and questions and can think about multiple solutions or possible outcomes.
While kids in the previous stage (concrete operations) are very particular in their thoughts, kids in the formal operational stage become increasingly abstract in their thinking.
Metacognition
There is also a significant improvement in metacognition, or the ability to think about their own thought processes. Such processes emerge earlier in development, but the cognitive skills that emerge during the formal operational stage allow these metacognitive abilities become much more refined.
As children gain greater awareness and understanding of their own thought processes, they develop what is known as metacognition, or the ability to think about their thoughts as well as the ideas of others.
Criticisms of the Formal Operational Stage
Some researchers have noted that while Piaget’s theory indicates four stages of cognitive development, evidence suggests that not all adolescents reach the formal operational stage.
Older research found that only around 45% of adults ever reach formal operational thought.
The formal operational stage hinges on the emergence of critical thinking skills. Depending on factors such as education, parenting, and cultural influences, some children do not necessarily develop the requisite thinking skills to fully approach this stage.
It has also been noted that formal operational thought may, in some cases, be domain-specific. A trained engineer may be able to engage in formal operational thought about their profession, but they may lack the ability to apply similar skills in domains such as economics, politics, or social science.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Emick J, Welsh M. Association between formal operational thought and executive function as measured by the Tower of Hanoi-Revised. Learning and Individual Differences. 2005;15(3):177-188. doi:10.1016/j.lindif.2004.11.004
Additional Reading
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Piaget, J. (1977). Gruber, H.E.; Voneche, J.J. eds. The essential Piaget. New York: Basic Books.
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Piaget, J. (1983). Piaget’s theory. In P. Mussen (ed). Handbook of Child Psychology. 4th edition. Vol. 1. New York: Wiley.
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