During which stage in Piaget's theory does a child primarily learn through sensory impressions and motor activities?

The sensorimotor stage is the first stage in Piaget's theory of cognitive development, occurring from birth to about two years of age. During this period, infants learn primarily through their senses and motor activities. They explore the world around them by seeing, touching, hearing, tasting, and manipulating objects. It is in this stage that children develop their understanding of the world through direct interaction, gradually moving from reflexive actions to intentional behaviors.

Key milestones of the sensorimotor stage include the development of object permanence, where infants learn that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, and the progression of motor skills. This foundational stage sets the groundwork for later cognitive development, as children start to form mental representations and understand cause-and-effect relationships through their experiences.

In contrast, in the other stages — such as the concrete operational stage where logical thinking about concrete objects occurs, the preoperational stage characterized by symbolic thinking and egocentrism, and the formal operational stage involving abstract reasoning — children do not primarily learn through sensory and motor activities.