Which of the following describes the third substage of Jean Piaget's sensorimotor stage of infant development?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To analyze the options, let's recall the Piagetian framework for the sensorimotor stage in infancy and identify what the third substage entails.
Option  d: 'An infant repeats an action for the sake of its consequences.' This aligns with the third substage, known as secondary circular reactions (approximately 4–8 months), where infants begin to repeat actions that produce interesting or pleasurable effects on the outside world, demonstrating an intentional repetition to achieve a result.
Option  b: 'It is characterized by an infant being completely preoccupied with the self.' This description more closely resembles notions of later egocentrism or self-focused behavior but does not capture the active exploration and repetition of external actions seen in the secondary circular reactions substage; it would be an inaccurate generalization of infant cognition at this stage.
Option  a: 'An infant's schemes are intentional and goal-directed.' While intention and goal-directed behavior begin to emerge, the precise characterization of intentional, goal-directed schemes is more typical of later stages of development as cognition becomes more sophisticated; the third substage emphasizes repeating external actions for effects rather than fully formulated intentional planning.
Option  c: 'It develops between 2 and 4 months of age.' The timing here does not match the standard window for the third substage, which is usually placed around 4–8 months. The 2–4 month window better corresponds to earlier subtypes, such as primary circular reactions, not the third substage.
Overall, the correct description among these options is the one that highlights repeating actions to produce external consequences, characteristic of secondary circular reactions in Piaget's sensorimotor progression.

Which of the following describes the third substage of Jean Piaget's sensorimotor stage of infant development?

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