Which Piagetian stage encompasses infancy through early childhood and includes the development of object permanence?

• A. Preoperational stage; symbolic thinking and egocentrism.
• B. Formal Operational stage; abstract reasoning.
• C. Sensorimotor stage; development of object permanence.
• D. Concrete Operational stage; conservation.

Answer: (C)

Object permanence is established during the sensorimotor stage, which runs from birth through about age two. In this period, infants learn about the world by using their senses and motor actions. Early on they react to objects they see or hear, and over time they come to understand that objects continue to exist even when they can’t be seen or touched. This realization marks a shift from purely reflexive behavior to intentional interaction with the environment, laying the foundation for more complex exploration as they grow. The other stages focus on different abilities: the preoperational stage centers on symbolic thinking and egocentrism; the concrete operational stage involves logical thinking about concrete objects and concepts like conservation; the formal operational stage centers on abstract reasoning. Object permanence, however, is a hallmark that ties this early, sensorimotor period to later development.