Finding the china cabinet open, an infant throws each dish onto the floor, slightly varying the angle of each "throw" and observing whether or not the throw causes the dish to break. This behavior is best characterized as

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This behavior is best characterized as a tertiary circular reaction because the infant is experimenting with variations of the same action (throwing) to observe different outcomes (breaking or not breaking). The behavior is also goal-directed, as the infant is intentionally exploring cause and effect relationships.

Finding the China Cabinet Open, an Infant Throws Each Dish