Five-month-old Theresa is engaging in what Jean Piaget called secondary circular reactions. Theresa is MOST likely:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Secondary circular reactions occur when infants repeat actions that have interesting effects on the environment. Batting at a mobile involves repeating a pleasurable action that produces a visually interesting effect, which aligns with the characteristics of secondary circular reactions.

Answer: C 
 Repeatedly throwing her bottle off the highchair in various directions involves a pleasurable action (throwing) that produces an interesting effect (the bottle moving in different directions), which aligns with the characteristics of secondary circular reactions.

Answer: B 
 Flushing toys down the toilet is beyond the level of development expected at five months and involves a goal-directed behavior that goes beyond simple repetition of pleasurable actions. This behavior is not consistent with the characteristics of secondary circular reactions.

Answer: D 
 Sucking her toes is a reflexive behavior that occurs in infants from birth and is not related to the characteristics of secondary circular reactions.

Five-Month-Old Theresa Is Engaging in What Jean Piaget Called Secondary