Secondary circular reactions last from about which ages?

• A. 0-1 month
• B. 4-8 months
• C. 12-18 months
• D. 18-24 months

Answer: (B)

In this stage of early cognitive development, the infant learns through repeated actions that produce a response from the outside world. This is the period of secondary circular reactions, where the baby intentionally repeats actions involving objects because they are interesting or cause a noticeable effect. It typically occurs from about four to eight months. An infant might shake a rattle to hear the sound again, or push a toy to make it move, learning about cause and effect through interacting with the environment. Object permanence is still developing, so the child may not search for objects that disappear completely from sight yet. Earlier, around birth to one month, reflexes dominate and actions are not yet directed at external objects. Later, around twelve to eighteen months, the child moves into tertiary circular reactions with more varied experiments, and by eighteen to twenty-four months, symbolic thinking begins to emerge.