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During the sensorimotor stage, which spans from birth to about 2 years of age, the key characteristic for infants from birth to around 7 months is the use of reflexes. At this stage, infants rely heavily on innate reflexes to interact with their environment. These reflexes include actions like sucking, grasping, and rooting, which help them learn about the world around them through a series of sensory experiences and motor actions.

In these early months, infants do not yet demonstrate the concept of object permanence, which is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen; this understanding typically develops around 8 to 12 months. Intentional behavior, characterized by purposeful actions towards specific goals, emerges later as infants gain greater control over their movements and cognitive understanding. Logical reasoning, which requires a more advanced stage of cognitive development, is not seen in the sensorimotor stage until much later. Thus, the focus on reflexes during this early part of development marks this phase appropriately.