Certificate In Psychology (CPSY) Practice Exam

Tertiary reactions are characterized by the systematic variation of action sequences in the context of developmental psychology, particularly in the sensorimotor stage described by Jean Piaget. These reactions typically emerge during the latter part of this stage, around 12 to 18 months of age.

At this stage of development, infants engage in experimentation by actively trying out different actions to observe the effects of their behavior on the environment. They purposefully vary their actions to explore various outcomes and learn from their experiences. This experimentation shows a higher level of cognitive processing compared to earlier stages, as the child begins to understand causality and the relationships between their actions and the consequences that follow.

In contrast, the other types of circular reactions represent earlier forms of engagement with the environment. Primary reactions involve simple, reflexive behaviors centered on the infant’s own body. Secondary reactions focus on the effects of actions on the surrounding environment but without the systematic variation and experimentation that characterizes tertiary reactions. Coordinated reactions may refer to the combination of previously learned actions but also do not emphasize the intentional variation of actions to explore different responses.

Thus, tertiary reactions are distinctive for their systematic variations, reflecting a child's growing cognitive abilities and proactive approach to understanding their world.