Sensorimotor stage

Definition

The sensorimotor stage is the first of Jean Piaget's four stages of cognitive development, occurring from birth to about two years old. During this period, infants learn about the world primarily through their senses and motor actions, developing skills like object permanence and symbolic thought as they interact with their environment.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The sensorimotor stage is divided into six sub-stages, starting with simple reflex actions and progressing to more complex behaviors and problem-solving skills.
2. Infants in this stage explore their environment through trial-and-error learning, using their bodies to experiment with objects and sensory experiences.
3. A key milestone in this stage is the development of object permanence, usually occurring around 8-12 months, where infants realize that objects still exist even when out of sight.
4. Symbolic thought begins to emerge towards the end of the sensorimotor stage, laying the groundwork for language development and imaginative play.
5. The ability to engage in deferred imitation (repeating an action after some time) develops in later sub-stages, showcasing cognitive growth and memory skills.

Review Questions

• How do infants develop cognitive skills during the sensorimotor stage through their interactions with the environment?
  • Infants develop cognitive skills in the sensorimotor stage by actively engaging with their surroundings. They learn through sensory experiences and motor actions, using trial-and-error to understand cause-and-effect relationships. For example, when an infant drops a toy repeatedly, they begin to grasp the idea that their actions can influence their environment, which helps build foundational cognitive abilities.
• Discuss the importance of object permanence in cognitive development and how it is manifested during the sensorimotor stage.
  • Object permanence is a crucial aspect of cognitive development that emerges during the sensorimotor stage. It signifies an infant's ability to understand that objects continue to exist even when they are not visible. This understanding typically develops between 8-12 months and represents a significant leap in cognitive capability, as it reflects an emerging awareness of the world and contributes to later skills such as memory and symbolic thinking.
• Evaluate how the experiences in the sensorimotor stage set the foundation for later cognitive development milestones.
  • The experiences gained during the sensorimotor stage are essential for setting up future cognitive milestones. As infants learn to manipulate objects and explore their environment through various sensory modalities, they begin forming concepts that are crucial for later stages of cognitive development. Skills such as problem-solving, symbolic thought, and deferred imitation develop as a result of these early interactions, laying the groundwork for language acquisition and more complex reasoning abilities in later childhood.

Related terms

object permanence: The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen or heard, which typically develops during the sensorimotor stage.

cognitive development: The process of growth and change in intellectual capabilities that influence a person's behavior, which encompasses stages like the sensorimotor stage.

reflexes: Involuntary responses to stimuli that infants exhibit at birth, which gradually become more coordinated actions during the sensorimotor stage.