Piaget described cognitive development as occurring

Correct option is D

The correct answer is (d) in four qualitatively different stages
Explanation:
Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development is a stage theory, meaning it is discontinuous and involves distinct shifts in children's thinking. The four stages—sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational—are universal and follow a fixed order. Each stage represents a unique mental structure (schema) for understanding the world.
Information Booster:
⇨ Sensorimotor (0-2): Learning through senses and motor actions; development of object permanence.
⇨ Preoperational (2-7): Symbolic thought and language emerge, but are characterized by egocentrism.
⇨ Concrete Operational (7-11): Logical thought develops regarding physical objects; understanding conservation.
⇨ Formal Operational (11+): The ability to think abstractly and perform hypothetical reasoning.
⇨ Invariant Sequence: Children must go through each stage in the same order without skipping.
⇨ Adaptation: The process of adjusting to the world through assimilation and accommodation.
Additional Points:
• Option (A) Three levels: Kohlberg's theory of moral development is structured in three levels.
• Option (B) Eight stages: Erik Erikson's theory of psychosocial development consists of eight stages.
• Option (C) Continuous manner: Vygotsky and information-processing theorists tend to see development as more continuous.