FTCE Professional Education Practice Exam

Which stage comes first in Jean Piaget's theory of intellectual development?

1. Preoperational stage

2. Concrete operational stage

3. Formal operational stage

4. Sensorimotor stage

The correct answer is: Sensorimotor stage

In Jean Piaget's theory of intellectual development, the sensorimotor stage is the first stage and spans from birth to approximately two years of age. During this stage, infants learn about the world primarily through their senses and motor activities. They engage in behaviors such as grasping, looking, and listening, which help them make sense of their environment. The sensorimotor stage is crucial because it lays the foundation for later cognitive development. Infants in this stage develop object permanence, understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen. This milestone signifies the beginning of a child's ability to form mental representations of the world. As children progress beyond the sensorimotor stage, they enter subsequent stages of development, including the preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational stages, each characterized by different cognitive abilities and ways of thinking.