According to Piaget, which of the following is characteristic of a child in the preoperational stage?

A. Motor skills are initially influenced by biology but become increasingly dependent on environmental factors: While biology and environment both matter, this statement is overly linear and doesn’t capture the moment-to-moment, multi-factor interaction emphasized by dynamic systems theory.
B. Infants take bits and pieces of data from sensations and build representations of the world in their minds: This describes constructivist/cognitive processes (Piagetian), focusing on internal mental representations rather than dynamic, embodied action.
C. Motor development comes about through the unfolding of a genetic plan, or maturation: This is the maturational (nativist) view, which sees motor milestones as preprogrammed rather than emergent from multiple interacting factors.
D. Infants perceive something new in the environment that motivates them to act. They use their perceptions to fine-tune their movements: Dynamic systems theory emphasizes that motor skills emerge from interactions among perception, action, the body, and environment; infants use perception to continuously adjust movements.

A. the grasping reflex: The grasping (palmar) reflex is an automatic newborn response produced by small hand/finger muscles, not developed by large-muscle activities.
B. the sucking reflex: Sucking is an oral reflex for feeding and involves facial/oral musculature, not large-muscle activity.
C. fine motor skills: Fine motor skills involve small muscles (hands, fingers); they are not the primary outcome of activities that use large muscles.
D. gross motor skills: Gross motor skills are built from activities that use large muscle groups (legs, arms, trunk) such as rolling, crawling, and running.