What Piagetian stage covers birth to about 2 years and is characterized by the infant's learning through direct sensory and motor interaction with the world?

What Piagetian stage covers birth to about 2 years and is characterized by the infant's learning through direct sensory and motor interaction with the world?

• A. Sensorimotor period
• B. Preoperational period
• C. Concrete Operations period
• D. Formal Operations period

Answer: (A)

The sensorimotor period. From birth to about two years, infants learn primarily through direct sensory experiences and motor actions rather than through internal thinking skills alone. They start with reflexes, then gradually coordinate actions to explore and manipulate their world, building understanding through repeating actions (circular reactions) and by combining schemes. A key milestone is object permanence—the realization that objects continue to exist even when not seen—which develops as they interact with their environment. By the end of this stage, they begin forming basic mental representations, but thought remains tied to concrete, immediate experiences rather than abstract ideas. The next stage, beginning around age two, introduces symbolic thought and pretend play.

The sensorimotor period. From birth to about two years, infants learn primarily through direct sensory experiences and motor actions rather than through internal thinking skills alone. They start with reflexes, then gradually coordinate actions to explore and manipulate their world, building understanding through repeating actions (circular reactions) and by combining schemes. A key milestone is object permanence—the realization that objects continue to exist even when not seen—which develops as they interact with their environment. By the end of this stage, they begin forming basic mental representations, but thought remains tied to concrete, immediate experiences rather than abstract ideas. The next stage, beginning around age two, introduces symbolic thought and pretend play.