Sensorimotor Stage
The sensorimotor stage is the first stage of cognitive development in the theory of cognitive development proposed by Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist, and is considered the most basic stage. This stage occurs between birth and the age of two and focuses on the development of motor skills, language, and the ability to perceive, explore, and interact with the environment (Berk, 2017). During this period, children learn through their senses and by manipulating objects.
During the sensorimotor stage, children acquire knowledge about the world through their senses and motor activities. This knowledge is based on the child’s own physical experiences, such as observing objects and manipulating them (Piaget, 1952). Through these experiences, children learn object permanence, which is the understanding that objects still exist even when out of sight.
At the beginning of the sensorimotor stage, infants are only capable of reflexive actions, such as grasping and sucking (Piaget, 1952). As the stage progresses, children begin to develop more complex motor skills, such as reaching, crawling, and walking. Through these activities, children learn about the properties of objects, such as shape, size, texture, and color. As they interact with their environment, children also learn about cause and effect and begin to form mental representations of objects and events (Kail, 2014).
By the end of the sensorimotor stage, children have developed the ability to think symbolically, which allows them to use symbols and language to represent objects and events. They also have a better understanding of the physical world and can use tools and objects to solve simple problems (Kail, 2014).
The sensorimotor stage is an important stage of cognitive development as it lays the foundation for more complex thinking. It is a period of exploration and discovery that helps children develop the skills and understanding that will allow them to learn and interact with their environment in a more sophisticated way.
References
Berk, L. E. (2017). Child development (9th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Kail, R. V. (2014). Human development: A life-span view (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.
Piaget, J. (1952). The origins of intelligence in children. New York, NY: International Universities Press.