In the SENSORIMOTOR stage of development, which occurs from birth to approximately 2 years of age, key achievements include learning object permanence and developing sensory knowledge. Object permanence is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen. This concept is crucial as it marks a significant cognitive milestone; infants learn that their actions can cause reactions in the environment, leading to increased exploration and interaction with their surroundings.
During this stage, infants also rely heavily on their sensory experiences—seeing, touching, tasting, hearing, and smelling—to understand the world. They begin to gradually connect their sensory experiences with their physical actions, thus laying the groundwork for future cognitive development. This achievement is foundational for higher levels of thinking and understanding that will evolve in subsequent stages of cognitive development.
The other options focus on areas of development that occur in later stages. For example, understanding language and syntax typically emerges in the PREOPERATIONAL stage, while moral reasoning skills are developed much later during the FORMAL OPERATIONAL stage. Social interactions also become more complex in later developmental stages, particularly as children grow and engage more significantly with peers. Hence, the statement regarding sensory knowledge and object permanence accurately captures the essential cognitive milestones achieved in the SENSORIMOTOR stage.