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Egocentric thinking in Piaget’s theory refers to a stage of cognitive development where an individual is unable to see things from another person's perspective. This concept is crucial in understanding how children perceive the world during the preoperational stage of development, which typically occurs between the ages of 2 and 7. In this stage, children are often unable to consider experiences or viewpoints outside of their own. They may believe that everyone sees the world in the same way they do, demonstrating a self-centered viewpoint.

The implications of egocentric thinking highlight the limitations in young children's cognitive abilities, showing that they have not yet developed the capacity for perspective-taking that becomes more pronounced in later stages of development. This phenomenon is fundamental in Piaget’s exploration of how children think and understand their environments before they acquire more advanced reasoning skills, which includes understanding that others can have different thoughts, feelings, and perspectives.