Author Question: Briefly describe each of the six stages of sensorimotor intelligence, and for each stage, give an ... (Read 58 times)

penza · **on:** Jun 22, 2018

Briefly describe each of the six stages of sensorimotor intelligence, and for each stage, give an example of what an infant learns.

What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Piaget theorized that object permanence develops at about 8 months of age. However, recent research has indicated that it may actually develop earlier. Differentiate between Piaget's testing for object permanence and new techniques.

Give alternate explanations for why infants
younger than 8 months failed to search for hidden objects.

What will be an ideal response?

shoemake · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 22, 2018

Answer to Question 1

The stages of sensorimotor intelligence are:
Stage One: Reflexes. These include all of the reflex actions apparent at birth. The
infant gains information about the world through the repeated exercise of these
reflexes.
Stage Two: The First Adaptations. These include primary circular reactions such
as thumb-sucking, through which the infant learns the limits of his or her own
body.
Stage Three: An Awareness of Things. These include secondary circular
reactions, such as banging on pots and pans, through which the infant learns
about things in the environment.
Stage Four: New Adaptation and Anticipation. These include goal-directed
behavior, which stems from an enhanced awareness of causes and effects, and
the emergence of the motor skills needed to achieve these goals.
Stage Five: Experimentation. These include tertiary circular reactions and trialand-
error learning.
Stage Six: Mental Combinations. In this stage, toddlers are able to try out various
actions mentally without actually having to perform them.

Answer to Question 2

The classic technique of hiding an object under a blanket and recent techniques using
manipulation of objects while tracing eye movements and brain activity should be
discussed. Alternate explanations for Piaget's findings include motor incompetence
and lack of memory skills.