Object Permanence

Definition

Object permanence is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, heard, or touched. It is a key concept in the study of cognitive development, particularly in the context of early childhood.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Object permanence typically develops in infants between 8 and 12 months of age, as they transition from the sensorimotor stage to the preoperational stage of cognitive development.
2. The acquisition of object permanence is a significant milestone in a child's cognitive development, as it demonstrates their ability to mentally represent and reason about unseen objects.
3. Infants without object permanence will often exhibit behaviors such as the 'A-not-B' error, where they search for an object in the location where it was previously found, even if they have seen it hidden in a new location.
4. The development of object permanence is closely linked to the growth of working memory, as it requires the child to maintain a mental representation of the hidden object.
5. The concept of object permanence is also related to the idea of conservation, as it involves the understanding that objects continue to exist even when their physical appearance changes.

Review Questions

• Explain how the development of object permanence is connected to the sensorimotor stage of cognitive development.
  • The acquisition of object permanence is a key milestone in the sensorimotor stage of cognitive development, as it marks the transition from the child's initial reliance on sensory and motor experiences to the ability to mentally represent and reason about unseen objects. During this stage, infants gradually develop the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are out of sight, which lays the foundation for more advanced cognitive abilities in later stages of development.
• Describe how the concept of object permanence relates to the broader framework of Piagetian stages of cognitive development.
  • The development of object permanence is a crucial step in Piaget's theory of cognitive development, as it represents the child's transition from the sensorimotor stage to the preoperational stage. The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are not perceived is a foundational cognitive skill that allows the child to begin forming mental representations and engage in more advanced forms of reasoning. The acquisition of object permanence is closely linked to the growth of working memory and the development of conservation, which are key concepts in Piaget's theory of cognitive development.
• Analyze the significance of the 'A-not-B' error in the context of object permanence and its implications for our understanding of infant cognition.
  • The 'A-not-B' error, in which infants search for an object in the location where it was previously found rather than the new location where it was hidden, is a hallmark of the lack of object permanence. This error provides valuable insights into the cognitive processes of infants and the gradual development of their understanding of object permanence. The 'A-not-B' error suggests that infants in the sensorimotor stage rely heavily on sensory-motor cues and have difficulty maintaining a mental representation of the hidden object, which is a critical component of object permanence. The study of the 'A-not-B' error and similar behaviors has contributed to our understanding of the cognitive abilities and limitations of infants, as well as the important role of object permanence in the broader framework of cognitive development.

Related terms

Sensorimotor Stage: The first stage of cognitive development in Piaget's theory, during which infants acquire knowledge through sensory experiences and motor activities.

Piagetian Stages: The series of developmental stages proposed by Jean Piaget, which describe the cognitive changes that occur as children grow.

Conservation: The understanding that the quantity of a substance remains the same despite changes in its physical appearance or arrangement.