Table 1 Overview of general and nutrition related cognitive characteristics of children
From: Cognitive development and children's perceptions of fruit and vegetables; a qualitative study
Pre-operational stage | Concrete operational stage | Formal operational stage |
|---|---|---|
Limited information processors | Cued processors | Strategic processors |
Egocentric | Aware of perspective of another | Able to consider different perspectives |
Focused on one attractive external characteristic | Focused on two or more functional and underlying attributes | Focused on multiple functional and underlying attributes |
Decisions based on salient perceptual attributes | Decisions more flexible and thoughtful | Decisions more strategic |
Do not consider transformations | See intermediary processes | Eye for detail |
Concrete thinking | Thinking more logical, but concrete | Abstract thinking |
Pre-logical thinking | First type of causality thinking | Logical reasoning |
No distinction between foods and snacks | Distinction between foods and snacks | * |
Ingested foods not changed in stomach | Ingested foods are changed somehow in the stomach | * |
Can mention healthy foods, but not explain why it is healthy | Healthy foods make you strong, healthy and grow (do not know how) | * |
Brand preferences based on perceptual and affective attributes | Brand preferences based on cognitive attributes | * |
Rejection based on distaste, danger or ideational | Rejection based on distaste, danger, disgust or inappropriateness | Rejection based on distaste, danger, disgust or inappropriateness |
No idea of contamination | Basic idea of contamination | Full adult idea of contamination |