Egocentric - GCSE Psychology Definition

What is Egocentric?

In GCSE Psychology egocentric is the inability to see/understand that other people may have a different viewpoint to that of one’s own. This lack of different perspective can be physical (e.g. I can see the cat from here so you must be able to see the cat too) or psychological (e.g. I want the cat to be my pet, why won’t you let me take the cat home with me?). Egocentrism does not allow for the idea that if someone has a different vantage point to you then they cannot necessarily see what you can see or that if someone does not share your ideas/feelings then they will not agree to what you want (e.g. taking their cat away from them).

Egocentrism is a feature of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. Piaget claimed that children aged 2-7 years old are egocentric, i.e. they  cannot ‘de-centre' (meaning that they cannot appreciate that not everyone will see/feel/think the same as they themselves see/feel/think).

Egocentric Revision Resources to Ace Your Exams

You can use the Save My Exams revision notes to revise reduction of egocentricity and further your understanding of Piaget’s stage theory & the development of intelligence.

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