During early infancy, babies are extremely egocentric.
They have no concept that the world exists separate from their point of view and experience.
Piaget referred to these mental images asschemas.
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A schema is a category of knowledge about something in the world.
As the child grows older and has more experiences, their schemas will multiply and become much more complex.
Reflexive responses such as rooting, sucking, and startling are how the infant interacts with their environment.
A baby might accidentally suck their thumb and realize that it’s enjoyable.
The baby will then repeat the action because it is pleasurable.
They will even perform actions to create a response.
Piaget referred to these as secondary circular reactions.
Babies will shake toys to produce sounds and their responses to the environment become more cohesive and coordinated.
12 to 18 Months: Trial and Error
Tertiary circular reactions appear during the fifth stage.
These involve trial and error, and infants might start performing actions to gain attention from others.
At this point, children become able to form mental representations of objects.
Research on object permanence has also called into question some of Piaget’s conclusions.
One of the major criticisms of Piagets work is that he often underestimated childrens abilities.
Children may be capable of more at an earlier age than Piaget originally suggested.
Other researchers have suggested alternative explanations for why infants do not look for hidden toys.
Very young children simply may not have the physical coordination necessary to search for the item.
In other cases, babies might not have an interest in finding the hidden object.
Simple games and play can give your child the opportunity to practice skills and explore the world around them.
It is important to remember, however, that all children develop at different rates.
In many cases, early intervention and treatment can lead to better outcomes.
2018;12:33. doi:10.3389/fnbot.2018.00033
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