In which stage do infants rely heavily on their senses to explore the world?

Infants rely heavily on their senses to explore the world during the Sensorimotor Stage, which lasts from birth to about two years of age. In this stage, infants use their sensory and motor skills to interact with their environment. They learn about the world through their experiences and by manipulating objects, which is key for cognitive development.

During this time, they engage in behaviors such as grasping, looking, listening, and manipulating objects, allowing them to start understanding concepts like cause and effect. This sensory exploration forms the foundation for later cognitive processes. The focus in this stage is on direct interaction with the surroundings, which facilitates learning about the physical properties of objects and creating mental representations of their experiences.

In contrast, the other stages mentioned do not emphasize sensory exploration in the early formative years. The Embryonic and Fetal stages pertain to prenatal development, focusing on the growth and differentiation of the organism before sensory exploration begins. The Concrete Operational Stage, which occurs later, involves more complex thinking and logical reasoning about concrete events and objects but does not focus on initial sensory explorations like the Sensorimotor Stage does.