The stages of sensorimotor intelligence are:
Stage One: Reflexes. These include all of the reflex actions apparent at birth. The
infant gains information about the world through the repeated exercise of these
reflexes.
Stage Two: The First Adaptations. These include primary circular reactions such
as thumb-sucking, through which the infant learns the limits of his or her own
body.
Stage Three: An Awareness of Things. These include secondary circular
reactions, such as banging on pots and pans, through which the infant learns
about things in the environment.
Stage Four: New Adaptation and Anticipation. These include goal-directed
behavior, which stems from an enhanced awareness of causes and effects, and
the emergence of the motor skills needed to achieve these goals.
Stage Five: Experimentation. These include tertiary circular reactions and trialand-
error learning.
Stage Six: Mental Combinations. In this stage, toddlers are able to try out various
actions mentally without actually having to perform them.