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What is the first stage of Piaget's cognitive development model?

  1. Concrete operational stage

  2. Pre-operational stage

  3. Sensorimotor stage

  4. Formal operational stage

The correct answer is: Sensorimotor stage

The first stage of Piaget's cognitive development model is the sensorimotor stage. This stage spans from birth to approximately 2 years of age and is characterized by the development of knowledge through sensory experiences and motor actions. In this stage, infants learn about the world by interacting with their environment, using their senses to explore and understand things around them. Key concepts emerging during the sensorimotor stage include object permanence, which is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are not visible. This foundational growth lays the groundwork for more complex cognitive skills that develop in subsequent stages, such as the pre-operational stage, concrete operational stage, and formal operational stage which follow in that order. Each of these latter stages builds upon the cognitive abilities established in the sensorimotor stage, making its understanding crucial to grasping the overall theory of cognitive development proposed by Piaget.