A nurse is teaching a class about Piaget’s stages of cognitive development.
The nurse should instruct that object permanence develops during which of the following stages?
A.
Formal operational.
B.
Preoperational.
C.
Concrete operational.
D.
Sensorimotor.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is D. Sensorimotor.
Explanation:
Jean Piaget, a prominent developmental psychologist, proposed a theory of cognitive development that outlines how children progress through different stages of cognitive abilities as they grow. One of the key milestones in Piaget’s theory is the development of object permanence, which occurs during the Sensorimotor stage of cognitive development.
The Sensorimotor stage is the first of Piaget’s four stages, spanning from birth to approximately 2 years of age. During this period, infants and toddlers learn about the world through their sensory experiences and motor activities. The development of object permanence is a critical achievement within this stage, occurring around 8 to 12 months of age.
Object permanence refers to the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are not visible. Before achieving this cognitive milestone, infants may believe that objects cease to exist when they are out of sight. For example, if a toy is hidden under a blanket, a child who has not yet developed object permanence may not search for it, as they think the toy has disappeared. Once object permanence is established, the child understands that the toy still exists even if it is not directly visible, and will actively search for it.
This stage is followed by the Preoperational stage (approximately 2 to 7 years), where children begin to engage in symbolic play and use language to explore the world. However, during this stage, they still lack the ability to perform operations mentally and struggle with understanding the concept of conservation.
The Concrete operational stage (around 7 to 11 years) is characterized by the development of logical thought concerning concrete objects and events, but not yet abstract reasoning. Finally, the Formal operational stage (from approximately 12 years and onward) involves the ability to think abstractly and hypothetically.
In summary, object permanence is a fundamental cognitive development milestone that occurs during the Sensorimotor stage, marking a significant advance in an infant’s understanding of their environment.