Cognitive Development in Newborns

Definition

Cognitive development in newborns refers to how a baby learns to understand the world around them through their senses, thoughts, memories, language use and mental processing.

Analogy

Imagine cognitive development in newborns like building a house from scratch. At first there's just an empty plot (a newborn's mind). As they grow older they start laying bricks (learning new things), installing windows (developing perception), putting on roof tiles (forming memories) until eventually they have built an entire house (a matured cognitive system).

Related terms

Sensorimotor Stage: The first stage in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development where infants learn about their environment by using their basic senses and motor skills.

Object Permanence: The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen or heard; this typically develops during infancy.

Language Acquisition: The process by which humans acquire the capacity to perceive and comprehend language.