Freddy has been sucking his thumb for a few weeks. His parents would prefer him to use a pacifier, so they begin to offer one. But Freddy rejects the pacifier and continues to suck his thumb. Freddy is most clearly in stage _____ of Piaget's theory of sensorimotor development.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Freddy is in stage two of Piaget's sensorimotor development, which is the primary circular reactions phase (1-4 months). During this stage, infants start to make accidental discoveries, like thumb sucking, and then repeat them because they find them pleasurable. Freddy's preference for thumb sucking over the pacifier suggests he is engaging in behaviors that are self-initiated and pleasurable, characteristic of this stage.

Freddy Has Been Sucking His Thumb for a Few Weeks