Regarding cognitive development, what does 'centration' imply for young children?

Centration refers to a cognitive limitation observed in young children, particularly during the preoperational stage of development, as described by Jean Piaget. When children exhibit centration, they concentrate on one specific aspect of a situation while neglecting other relevant features. This phenomenon is evident in tasks such as conservation, where a child might focus solely on the height of liquid in a tall versus a short container, ignoring the fact that the same amount of liquid is present in both. Because of this focus, they may erroneously conclude that the taller container holds more liquid.

The ability to consider multiple characteristics of an object or to categorize effectively requires a more advanced level of cognitive processing that develops later in childhood. Similarly, generalizing objects into different categories also indicates a more sophisticated cognitive framework that emerges as children grow and their cognitive abilities expand beyond centration.