Which of the following is a substages within the sensorimotor stage?

• A. Object permanence
• B. Language development
• C. Reflexes
• D. Egocentrism

Answer: (C)

In Piaget’s theory, the sensorimotor stage is broken into six substages, and the very first substage consists of reflexes. Newborns rely on innate, automatic responses to stimuli—things like sucking, grasping, rooting, and blinking. These reflexes are the building blocks that infants use to interact with the world, and they provide the foundation for more deliberate, purposeful actions as the child grows.

Object permanence is a milestone that develops later in the sensorimotor period, not a substage. Language development and egocentrism are associated with later stages (language emerges gradually and egocentrism is typical of the preoperational stage). So the element that fits as a substages within the sensorimotor period is those initial reflexive actions.