What is the primary method by which children in the tertiary circular reactions substage learn?

In the tertiary circular reactions substage of cognitive development, which occurs from about 12 to 18 months of age according to Piaget's framework, children primarily learn through trial and error. During this stage, infants exhibit a more advanced level of exploration and experimentation with their environment. They actively seek out new ways to interact with objects, often testing different outcomes by manipulating items in various ways.

This learning process is characterized by the child's willingness to experiment, such as dropping a toy from different heights to see how it falls or shaking a bottle to learn what sounds different actions produce. These exploratory behaviors reveal the child's understanding that their actions can lead to different results, fostering problem-solving skills and cognitive development.

While imitation, listening, and structured instruction may play roles in development at other stages, they are not the primary methods through which children learn during the tertiary circular reactions substage. At this stage, children rely heavily on their own experiences and self-directed exploration, which clearly distinguishes this phase as focused on trial and error learning.