©EVERLY 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Piaget Stages Exam Study Guide.
Characteristics of the Sensorimotor Stage: - Answer✔The first stage of Piaget's theory lasts from
birth to age two and is centered on the infant trying to make sense of the world. During the
sensorimotor stage, an infant's knowledge of the world is limited to his or her sensory
perceptions and motor activities. Behaviors are limited to simple motor responses caused by
sensory stimuli. Children utilize skills and abilities they were born with (such as looking,
sucking, grasping, and listening) to learn more about the environment.
Object Permanence: - Answer✔According to Piaget, the development of object permanence is
one of the most important accomplishments at the sensorimotor stage of development. Object
permanence is a child's understanding that objects continue to exist even though they cannot be
seen or heard.
Reflexes (0-1 month): - Answer✔During this substage, the child understands the environment
purely through inborn reflexes such as sucking and looking.
Primary Circular Reactions (1-4 months): - Answer✔This substage involves coordinating
sensation and new schemas. For example, a child may such his or her thumb by accident and
then later intentionally repeat the action. These actions are repeated because the infant finds them
pleasurable.
Secondary Circular Reactions (4-8 months): - Answer✔During this substage, the child becomes
more focused on the world and begins to intentionally repeat an action in order to trigger a
response in the environment. For example, a child will purposefully pick up a toy in order to put
it in his or her mouth.
Coordination of Reactions (8-12 months): - Answer✔During this substage, the child starts to
show clearly intentional actions. The child may also combine schemas in order to achieve a
desired effect. Children begin exploring the environment around them and will often imitate the
observed behavior of others. The understanding of objects also begins during this time and
children begin to recognize certain objects as having specific qualities. For example, a child
might realize that a rattle will make a sound when shaken.
Tertiary Circular Reactions (12-18 months): - Answer✔Children begin a period of trial-and-error
experimentation during the fifth substage. For example, a child may try out different sounds or
actions as a way of getting attention from a caregiver.
Early Representational Thought (18-24 months): - Answer✔Children begin to develop symbols
to represent events or objects in the world in the final sensorimotor substage. During this time,
1|Page
Piaget Stages Exam Study Guide.
Characteristics of the Sensorimotor Stage: - Answer✔The first stage of Piaget's theory lasts from
birth to age two and is centered on the infant trying to make sense of the world. During the
sensorimotor stage, an infant's knowledge of the world is limited to his or her sensory
perceptions and motor activities. Behaviors are limited to simple motor responses caused by
sensory stimuli. Children utilize skills and abilities they were born with (such as looking,
sucking, grasping, and listening) to learn more about the environment.
Object Permanence: - Answer✔According to Piaget, the development of object permanence is
one of the most important accomplishments at the sensorimotor stage of development. Object
permanence is a child's understanding that objects continue to exist even though they cannot be
seen or heard.
Reflexes (0-1 month): - Answer✔During this substage, the child understands the environment
purely through inborn reflexes such as sucking and looking.
Primary Circular Reactions (1-4 months): - Answer✔This substage involves coordinating
sensation and new schemas. For example, a child may such his or her thumb by accident and
then later intentionally repeat the action. These actions are repeated because the infant finds them
pleasurable.
Secondary Circular Reactions (4-8 months): - Answer✔During this substage, the child becomes
more focused on the world and begins to intentionally repeat an action in order to trigger a
response in the environment. For example, a child will purposefully pick up a toy in order to put
it in his or her mouth.
Coordination of Reactions (8-12 months): - Answer✔During this substage, the child starts to
show clearly intentional actions. The child may also combine schemas in order to achieve a
desired effect. Children begin exploring the environment around them and will often imitate the
observed behavior of others. The understanding of objects also begins during this time and
children begin to recognize certain objects as having specific qualities. For example, a child
might realize that a rattle will make a sound when shaken.
Tertiary Circular Reactions (12-18 months): - Answer✔Children begin a period of trial-and-error
experimentation during the fifth substage. For example, a child may try out different sounds or
actions as a way of getting attention from a caregiver.
Early Representational Thought (18-24 months): - Answer✔Children begin to develop symbols
to represent events or objects in the world in the final sensorimotor substage. During this time,
1|Page
