What skill is typically acquired during the sensorimotor stage of development?

The sensorimotor stage of development, which occurs from birth to about 2 years of age, is characterized by how infants learn through interacting with their environment primarily using their senses and motor skills. During this stage, children engage in physical handling and exploration of objects. They learn about the world around them by touching, grasping, and manipulating items, which helps in developing their cognitive abilities through sensory experiences.

This hands-on exploration lays the foundation for later cognitive skills as they start to understand the relationships between their actions and the outcomes that result from them. For example, an infant might learn that shaking a rattle produces sound, which enhances their understanding of cause and effect. The focus is on the immediate physical interaction with their surroundings rather than on the development of abstract reasoning or logical thinking, which are characteristics of later stages of cognitive development.