Which of the following is a characteristic of the Sensorimotor stage?

The characteristic of the Sensorimotor stage, which spans from birth to approximately 2 years of age, is the recognition of object permanence. This concept refers to the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, heard, or otherwise perceived. During this stage, infants explore their world primarily through their senses and motor activities, gradually gaining awareness that their environment has permanence beyond their immediate perceptual experiences.

Infants demonstrate object permanence primarily through behaviors such as searching for a toy that has been hidden or showing surprise when a caregiver disappears from sight. This developmental milestone is crucial as it signifies a foundational cognitive achievement, illustrating that infants are beginning to form mental representations and understand that objects remain constant in their absence.

The other options pertain to different stages of cognitive development. The use of symbols in thinking is associated with the Preoperational stage, understanding logical processes emerges in the Concrete Operational stage, and the ability to engage in abstract thought occurs in the Formal Operational stage. Therefore, recognizing object permanence is distinctly tied to the Sensorimotor stage.