5 object permanence

·       Object permanence – object continue to exist even when they are out of sight

o   Object retains its spatial and physical properties

·       Piaget’s theory:

·       Sensorimotor (0-24 months)

o   Learns about world through actions and sensory info

o   Learns to differentiate self from the enviro

o   Start to understand causality and form mental representations

o   Object permanence attained at 12 months, full internal representations by 18-24 months

o   Reflex activity

o   Primary circular reactions

·       Stages 1&2

o   Reflex activity (0-1 months)

§  Practice innate reflexes

o   Primary circular reactions

§  Simple behaviours derived from basic reflexes

§  Start repeating behaviour

§  Focused on body

§  No differentiation between self and outside world

·       Stage 3

o   Secondary circular reactions (4-10 months)

§  ‘secondary’ behaviours = own, not reflexes

§  Start to focus on objects

§  Begin to change surroundings intentionally

·       Stage 4

o   coordination of secondary circular reactions

§  Engage with objects using a variety of actions

§  Combine actions to achieve goals and solve novel problems

§  A-not-B errors until 12 months – egocentrism

·       Stage 5

o   Tertiary circular reactions (12-18 months)

§  Still repetitive or circular behaviours

§  Discover the properties of objects and enviro

§  Understand objects through trial and error – not yet inventive or insightful

§  Improvements in problem solving

§  Still lack internal representations – stops them from doing things like planning

·       Stage 6

o   Internal representation (18-24)

§  Now has mental representation of the world

§  Solve novel problems insightfully

·       Critiques of Piaget

o   Methods – observational methods often with own children

§  Quantitative, experimental data rare

§  ‘clinical method’ rather than standardised

o   Confound variables

§  Motor coordination and motor planning deficits

§  Memory deficits

§  Communication – biased by cues

o    Younger infants could show some evidence if simplify procedure in experimental studies

·       Baillargeon et al (1985)

o   Infants should look longer as the impossible event if they find it surprising or confusing

o   Conclusion – infants expected the train to stop against the box and understood the box continues to exist (when behind a screen)

o   Contrary to Piaget as infants as young as 5 months show object permanence

·       Clifton et al (1991)

o   Presented 6 month olds with small and large objects

§  Each  object made identifying sound

§  Infants made appropriate grip to reach for objects in darkness

§  Authors conclude this is based on metal representations

·       Willatts (1989)

o   Toy out of reach on cloth

o   Cloth and toy blocked by a barrier

o   9 month old children performed sequence of actions to get toy

o   Many on the first attempt – novel, planned actions