What stage of Piaget's theory of cognitive development involves babies learning through sensory input and motor reactions?

Prepare for the CTRS Test with our engaging and interactive quiz. Utilize flashcards and multiple choice questions, each designed with helpful hints and detailed explanations. Get ready to excel on your exam!

The sensorimotor stage is a critical period in Piaget's theory of cognitive development, which spans from birth to approximately two years of age. During this stage, infants learn primarily through their senses and motor activity. They explore the world around them via touch, sight, sound, and movement, allowing them to develop an understanding of their environment.

In this stage, babies engage with their surroundings by performing actions such as grasping, sucking, and crawling. They learn that their actions can produce effects, a concept known as cause-and-effect. This interaction helps to build foundational cognitive skills and forms the basis for more complex thought processes that will develop in later stages.

While the other stages mentioned—pre-operational, concrete operational, and formal operational—represent subsequent stages in cognitive development, they focus on different capabilities such as symbolic thought, logical reasoning, and abstract concepts rather than the foundational sensory and motor learning that characterizes the sensorimotor stage.

Subscribe

Get the latest from Examzify

You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our privacy policy