What is a hallmark characteristic of the sensory motor stage of development?

The hallmark characteristic of the sensory motor stage of development, which occurs from birth to approximately two years of age, is indeed centered around learning through sensory experiences. During this stage, infants interact with the world primarily through their senses—sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell—and motor activities. They explore their environment physically and learn about objects and their properties by manipulating them.

Through these sensory and motor interactions, children develop crucial cognitive skills, such as object permanence, where they begin to understand that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen. This exploratory behavior facilitates cognitive development and lays the groundwork for learning in later stages.

The other options all refer to skills or concepts that develop at later stages in childhood or are characteristic of different developmental milestones. Understanding abstract concepts and mastery of language skills are hallmarks of the preoperational stage (around 2 to 7 years) and beyond. Similarly, the development of moral reasoning typically emerges later in childhood, as children begin to understand social rules and ethical considerations. Therefore, learning through sensory experiences remains the distinct and defining characteristic of the sensory motor stage.