Infant Development Object Concept Quiz

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Questions and Answers

At what age do infants begin to show an understanding of solidity and continuity?

1 month

4 months

2 months (correct)

6 months

What do infants understand about objects when presented with inconsistent events?

Objects can pass through each other.

An object follows a connected path. (correct)

Solid objects can occupy the same space.

Objects do not change their properties.

What behavior was observed in two-month-old infants when they faced inconsistent events?

They showed equal interest in all events.

They preferred control events over test events.

They became uninterested in the events.

They looked longer at the inconsistent event. (correct)

Which of the following principles is NOT violated by inconsistent events observed in infants?

Equivalence Signup and view all the answers

How do infants demonstrate their understanding of solidity in an experiment?

By recognizing that solid objects cannot occupy the same space. Signup and view all the answers

At what age can infants mentally represent the invisible movement of objects?

18 months Signup and view all the answers

What occurs in a control event during the solid object experiments?

A hand places an object in a position where outcomes are possible. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT one of the three adult assumptions about occlusion events?

Objects are subject to emotional interpretation Signup and view all the answers

What does longer looking time at an impossible event in the Violation-of-Expectation paradigm suggest?

Understanding of physical principles Signup and view all the answers

Which study demonstrated that infants can understand solidarity and continuity at 3 months?

Baillargeon et al, 1986 Signup and view all the answers

What kind of information can infants represent regarding hidden objects?

Existence, spatial position, properties, and movement Signup and view all the answers

In the context of object behavior, which of the following statements is true?

An object follows the same trajectory after being occluded. Signup and view all the answers

What is a key feature of the first wave of studies regarding infants’ cognitive abilities?

Infants form representations of hidden objects Signup and view all the answers

In the context of the Violation-of-Expectation paradigm, what do physically impossible events imply for infants?

They are surprised and expect different outcomes Signup and view all the answers

What is NOT a characteristic of the Violation-of-Expectation paradigm?

Requires infants to manipulate objects Signup and view all the answers

What represents an alternative viewpoint on how infants' representations change as they grow older?

Wang & Onishi, 2017 Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary limitation of young infants according to Piaget's theory?

They lack the ability to form symbolic representations. Signup and view all the answers

At what age do infants begin to show intentional search for hidden objects according to the development of manual search?

Between 8 and 12 months. Signup and view all the answers

What does the A not-B error demonstrate in infant behavior?

Infants are unaware of the object's location after it is hidden. Signup and view all the answers

According to Piaget, when do infants typically begin to show evidence of mental representation?

After 18 months. Signup and view all the answers

What cognitive ability is demonstrated when infants can solve novel problems by planning?

Symbolic representation. Signup and view all the answers

How do Piaget's findings relate to infants' understanding of occluded events?

They can infer the movements of hidden objects. Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes the behavior of infants between the ages of 8 to 12 months in relation to searching for objects?

They consistently check the last location of the object. Signup and view all the answers

What is a crucial aspect of Piaget's theory regarding the relationship between action and object recognition in infants?

An object exists as part of an action. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Infant Development of the Object Concept

Infants' understanding of object permanence develops gradually, as revealed by changes in their manual search behavior.
Up to 8 months, infants show no intentional search for hidden objects.
Between 8-12 months, infants may search for a hidden object but often return to the original place where the object was last seen (A-not-B error).
By 12-18 months, infants search correctly for objects hidden in a new location.
After 18 months, infants can search for objects hidden in invisible places, demonstrating mental representation.

Piaget's Theory of Object Permanence

Piaget believed that infants, in the sensorimotor stage, do not understand objects continue to exist when out of sight.
They perceive an object as a mere image that re-enters the void (when it vanishes) for no objective reason.
Piaget suggested that infants lack symbolic representations, meaning they cannot mentally represent objects when they're hidden.
They only discover object properties through actions.

Baillargeon's Theory of Object Permanence

Baillargeon proposed that young infants may have a surprisingly sophisticated understanding of object permanence, even at a very young age.
Using the violation-of-expectation paradigm, Baillargeon showed that infants demonstrated an understanding of object permanence even before they could physically search for hidden objects.
The violation-of-expectation paradigm shows that infants look longer at an impossible event compared to a possible one. This observation indicates that the infants understand that objects continue to exist even when hidden.

Solidity and Continuity

Infants, as young as three months, understand that objects have solidity and continuity.
They understand that objects take up space, and cannot pass through each other.
Three-month-old infants seemed to understand the concepts of solidity and continuity.

Development of Event Categories

Infants' understanding of physical events develops over time.
Initially, infants' understandings are influenced by general variables like contact or no contact.
With age, they notice more specific variables, like the amount of contact and shape, to predict outcomes—such as a block falling or being supported.
Different types of events, like support, occlusion, etc. are classified and understood differently.
There are different types of research that have been done on different types of events, such as those in support events.

Learning Through Various Methods

Researchers have used the violation-of-expectation method to study how infants acquire new event categories, and to identify relevant variables in these categories, such as occlusion and containment.
Studies have shown that infants exhibit surprise when they observe an unexpected event, by looking longer at the impossible event.
- This demonstrates their understanding of the physical properties and principles of events.
Infants will also use priming methods to enhance the observation of these variables, such as height.
Priming can draw their attention to the variables.
Infants can be primed to notice variables that they have not yet identified themselves.
This happens as infants get older and their cognitive systems develop.

Differences in Understanding Across Event Categories

The development of understanding of different event categories (such as those involving occlusion and containment) may show notable differences
Infants may develop a knowledge for occlusion more quickly than for containment.

Physical Reasoning System in Infants

Infants' physical reasoning system (PRS) provides a framework to connect events, and to establish causality.
Such as understanding that a solid object will prevent another solid object from passing through.
Infants categorize events (e.g., occlusion, containment, support) with their physical reasoning system.

Priming Effects in Infants' Learning

Priming (exposure to a particular stimulus first) can affect how infants process information and learn.
Priming can enhance the infant's ability to attend to relevant information about events that they encounter.
Priming has been suggested as a source that can enhance recall of information in the infant's cognitive processing.

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Description

Test your knowledge on the development of the object concept in infants. This quiz covers key milestones outlined by Piaget, including object permanence and how infants’ manual search behaviors change over time. Understand the progression from not searching for hidden objects to being able to mentally represent them.