Which term describes the stage of coordination where children gain body control through exploration of physical surroundings?

• A. Sensorimotor
• B. Elementary
• C. Preoperational
• D. Concrete operational

Answer: (B)

The situation describes the sensorimotor stage, when infants gain body control by exploring their surroundings through senses and movement. In this phase, babies move from reflexive actions to more purposeful interactions, learning to grab, shake, push, and explore objects to understand how their actions affect the world. They also begin to develop object permanence and cause-and-effect awareness as they manipulate and observe outcomes. This stage spans roughly from birth to about two years old. The other terms refer to later developmental stages where thinking becomes more symbolic or logical and do not capture the early motor exploration that builds bodily coordination.