Which behavior reflects an infant's development of an understanding of object permanence?

Which behavior reflects an infant's development of an understanding of object permanence?

• A. Searching for a toy under a blanket
• B. Looking for a toy that was moved and is still visible
• C. Crying when a toy is hidden
• D. Reaching for a toy that is visible

Answer: (A)

Object permanence is the understanding that an object continues to exist even when it can’t be seen. When an infant searches for a toy that’s been covered by a blanket, they’re showing that they expect the toy to still exist and can locate it despite its absence from view. This demonstrates a mental representation of the object’s location and an intentional effort to retrieve it. In contrast, looking for a toy that has merely been moved but remains visible relies on tracking what’s in sight, and crying when a toy is hidden reflects frustration rather than understanding of hidden objects. Reaching for a visible toy shows interest and motor ability but doesn’t reveal knowledge about unseen objects.

Object permanence is the understanding that an object continues to exist even when it can’t be seen. When an infant searches for a toy that’s been covered by a blanket, they’re showing that they expect the toy to still exist and can locate it despite its absence from view. This demonstrates a mental representation of the object’s location and an intentional effort to retrieve it. In contrast, looking for a toy that has merely been moved but remains visible relies on tracking what’s in sight, and crying when a toy is hidden reflects frustration rather than understanding of hidden objects. Reaching for a visible toy shows interest and motor ability but doesn’t reveal knowledge about unseen objects.