Qualitative differences refer to distinct and significant changes in the nature or quality of a particular attribute or characteristic. In the context of cognitive development, it refers to the idea that children's thinking undergoes fundamental shifts in each stage.
Related terms
Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development: Jean Piaget proposed that children progress through four stages (sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational) marked by qualitative differences in their thinking processes.
Cognitive Development: The study of how children acquire knowledge and understanding as they grow older.
Schemas: Mental frameworks or structures that individuals use to organize information and make sense of the world around them.