Which of the following cognitive processes develops during the Sensorimotor stage?

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Prepare for the MCAT Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior Test. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions with hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

During the Sensorimotor stage, which occurs from birth to approximately two years of age, infants primarily learn about the world through their sensory experiences and motor activities. This stage is characterized by the development of object permanence, where children come to realize that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, indicating an understanding of the separation between themselves and the external world.

The concept of separation from the world highlights the infant's growing awareness of themselves as distinct beings that can interact with their environment. This is a key cognitive achievement during this stage, as it establishes the foundation for further cognitive development in subsequent stages.

The other choices represent cognitive processes that develop later. Conservation of mass, which refers to the understanding that a quantity remains the same despite changes in shape or arrangement, develops during the Concrete Operational stage. Deductive reasoning, which involves drawing specific conclusions from general principles, and language use, which involves the ability to communicate complex ideas, emerge significantly later in childhood, particularly during the Preoperational and later stages of development as outlined by Piaget.