Which characteristic best describes the Sensorimotor stage (birth to about 2 years)?

• A. Follows moral rules based on social norms
• B. Learns through senses and object permanence develops
• C. Thinks symbolically with pretend play
• D. Masters abstract logical thinking

Answer: (B)

Learning through senses and motor actions, with object permanence developing, is what defines the Sensorimotor stage. In this period, infants start life with reflexes and gradually coordinate their senses with their movements, actively exploring to learn how objects behave. A key milestone is object permanence—the understanding that objects still exist even when they’re out of sight—which emerges as they move from simple actions to more purposeful ones. This stage is not about thinking symbolically or solving abstract problems; those abilities appear later in the preoperational and beyond. The other descriptions reflect attributes of later stages or different domains of development.