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Unlike primary and secondary circular reactions, behaviors that are discovered by accident, the coordination of secondary circular reactions substage represents true means–end behavior and signifies the beginning of intentional behavior. During this substage, infants purposefully coordinate two secondary circular reactions and apply them in new situations to achieve a goal. For example, Piaget described how his son, Laurent, combined the two activities of knocking a barrier out of his way and grasping an object. When Piaget put a pillow in front of a matchbox that Laurent desired, the boy pushed the pillow aside and grabbed the box. In this way, Laurent integrated two secondary circular reactions to achieve a goal. Now planning and goal-directed behavior have emerged.

During the third sensorimotor substage (4 to 8 months), infants’ awareness extends to include objects. They repeat actions that have effects on objects.

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One of the most important advances during the coordination of secondary circular reactions stage is object permanence, the understanding that objects continue to exist outside of sensory awareness (e.g., when they are no longer visible). According to Piaget, infants younger than 8 months of age do not yet have object permanence—out of sight is literally out of mind. An infant loses interest and stops reaching for or looking at a small toy after it is covered by a cloth. Not until 8 to 12 months, during the coordination of secondary circular reactions stage, will an infant search for hidden objects, thus displaying object permanence. This development is an important cognitive advance because it signifies a capacity for mental representation, or internal thought. The ability to think about an object internally is an important step toward learning language because language uses symbols: Sounds symbolize and stand for objects (e.g., infants must understand that the sound “ball” represents an object, a ball).