Study GuideDevelopmental Psychology–Physical, CognitiveDevelopment:Age 0–21.Cognitive Development: Age 0–2During the first two years of life, babies experience rapid cognitive growth. Much of what we knowabout early thinking comes from the work ofJean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist. In the 1920s, Piagetnoticed that children think and understand the world differently at different ages.Piaget believed that children move through a series ofcognitive development stages, much likephysical growth stages. While children may move through these stages at different speeds, Piagetargued that all children—boys and girls—go through the same stages in the same order.1.1 The Sensorimotor Stage (Birth to Age 2)The first stage of Piaget’s theory is called thesensorimotor stage, which lasts from birth to aboutage two. During this stage, infants learn throughdirect interactionwith the world. They learn bylooking, listening, touching, grasping, and sucking.At first, babies react to the world automatically. Over time, they begin to understand thattheir actionscause things to happen. For example, a baby may learn that shaking a rattle makes noise. This isthe beginning of understandingcause and effect.1.2 The Six Substages of the Sensorimotor PeriodPiaget divided the sensorimotor stage intosix smaller substages:Stage 1: Reflexes (Birth to 1 Month)Newborns rely entirely on reflexes, such as sucking and grasping. Their thinking abilities are verylimited at this point.Stage 2: Primary Circular Reactions (1 to 4 Months)Infants accidentally perform actions that feel good, such as sucking on a pacifier. When they like theresult, they repeat the action.Preview Mode
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