Question

Select ONE aspect of Piaget's theory of cognitive development and discuss it in the sensory motor period of development

Answer 1

Piaget believed that children take an active participation in the learning process right from younger years. This is an important aspect of his theory and right from the sensorimotor stage of development (0 to 2 years), we can see that children develop curiosity, learn about the environment by interacting with it and making novel discoveries along the way - and they do it all actively. Children in this stage, learn to crawl and almost put anything in their mouths by around 7-8 months. They also develop certain motor skills. An important concept that develops in this stage is the concept of 'object permanence', in 18 months olds. This marks the development of the symbolic/representational thought. They start understanding that even if an object can no longer be seen, it still exists.