This ability to choose will create broad variations in what occurs later, with no two infants perceiving, identifying, classifying (and thus selecting) all things equally or the same.

The dominant characteristic at this early stage of learning is freedom, the freedom of the infant in making mental choices.

Once the process of selection is fairly well advanced, the infant begins a process of association. The infant associates the perceptions and identities and classes he has observed, first with himself, and then with each other.

Everything that the infant observes is related to him or her in time and space. And so, everything that he or she takes into his or her conciousness is related to himself or herself in one way or another.

The infant is the center of his or her world. This process of perceiving, identifying, classifying, selecting, and associating is something that he or she must necessarily do for him or her self. No one else can do these things for them.

Once the infant has his or her world fairly well straightened out in their mind, the infant begins to form an opinion, attitude, or belief about it. This opinion is an overall view of just what kind of world this is. Everything that the infant is concious of, now goes to help shape his or her opinion.