Posited in Jean Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development, recurrent activity which emerges in infant behavior patterns at around 4-5 months of age which denotes the infant’s intent to cause things to occur. Repeated actions have yielded desired results previously, but there is no ability yet to adapt them to serve the purposes of a new set of circumstances. See: coordination of secondary circular emotions; primary circular reaction; tertiary circular reaction.
SECONDARY CIRCULAR REACTION: “The secondary circular reactions of an infant frequently cause laughter.”