Object concept and mental representation DVML

Object permanence

Objects continue to exist even when they are out of sight. Retains spacial and physical properties and still subject to physical laws

Piagets sensorimotor stage

0-24 months. Learns about world through actions and sensory information. Differentiate self from the environment

Piaget secondary circular reactions

4-10m

Start to focus on objects. Establishes connection between body movement and external environment

Piagets coordination of secondary circular reactions

10-12m

Engage with objects using a variety of actions. Combine actions to achieve goals and solve novel problems

Piagets tertiary circular reactions

12-18m

Still repetitive behaviours. Understand objects through trial and error. Improvements in problem solving

Posters internal representation

18-24m

Now has mental representation of the world

• can think and plan actions

• Deferred imitation

Piaget and object permanence

Begin to search for objects around 8-9 months

A not B error until 12 months

Piaget and planning

Not until internal representation stage

Piaget and deferred imitation

Copying behaviour after a delay

Not until internal representation

Critiques of Piaget

Basic object permanence, planning, and deferred imitation may be earlier than Piaget predicted

Butterworth (1997) A not B error

3 conditions: normal design (object permanence), covered but visible, visible and uncovered (other cognitive processes)

Errors in all conditions reflecting lack of coordination, not necessarily lack of object permanence

Smith and Thelen (2003) A not B error

One variation had infant stand instead of sit during “B” trial. 10m old infants performed like 12m old. Standing made the “A” position less salient

Methodological changes A not B error

Darkness rather than occlusion by other objects.

Takeaway the necessity of reaching

Violation of expectation: shown possible and impossible event, should show different reaction to impossible event

Bower (1982) object permanence

Infants a few months old shown object, screen moved in front of object then returned to original position. monitored child’s heart rate

2 conditions: object still in place vs empty space

Faster heart rate (more surprised) in second (empty) condition

Baillargeon et al (1985) object permanence

Should look longer at the impossible event if they find it surprising.

Drawbridge and solid box.

Infants as young as 5m show object permanence

Baillargeon (2004) object permanence

as young as 2.5 months. These principles are innate or babies born with ability to acquire knowledge about object properties very quickly

Clifton et al (1991) Planning

Presented 6m olds with small and large objects. Infants made appropriate grip to reach for objects in darkness, this is based on mental representations

Claxton et al (2003) Planning

Differences in motor patterns in adults for planned actions. Precise actions = slower approach.

Infants encouraged to throw ball or fit it into a hole

Willatts (1989) planned actions

9 month children performed sequence of actions to get toy. Many got it in the first attempt. Mental representation of the world used to organise behaviour

Meltzoff and Moore (1994) deferred imitation

6 weeks old

• some infants saw adult make facial gesture and some saw neutral expression

• Those that were more likely to perform it to a neutral face a day later

Meltzoff (1995) deferred imitation

14-16m

• experimenter performed series of actions with objects

• Both ages more likely to reproduce observed actions than those who did not see them even after a four month delay

Barr et al (1996) deferred imitation

Infants saw series of actions with puppies and had to repeat after a day delay

3 religion of actions: 6m no difference from control

Another 6m given 6 repetitions of actions: now score significantly higher than control

Evidence if deferred imitation in 6m olds

Patel et al (2013) deferred imitation

6, 9, 24m. Varied the context during retrieval. Full flexibility/generalisation not achieved until 12m

Conclusion

Children not born with fully developed object concept, but develop it over time

Certain behaviours seem to emerge in similar order