Understanding Object Permanence and Cognitive Development in Children

Object Permanence in Infants

• Peekaboo and Object Disappearance
  • Babies aren't sure of objects' existence when out of sight.
  • Peekaboo is engaging because of the sudden reappearance.
• Learning Object Permanence
  • During the first year, infants learn that objects exist even when not visible.
  • Example with Simon (10-month-old): Watches a toy hidden under a cloth but searches in the last known location instead of where it was hidden.

Cognitive Development in Children

Concept of Conservation

• Juice in Glasses Experiment
  • Children may think taller glasses have more juice due to height despite equal amounts.
• Quarters in a Row Experiment
  • Children determine quantity by spacing, thinking rows spread out have more items.

Fairness and Distribution

• Crackers Sharing Game
  • Initial perception of unfair distribution changes with rearrangement.
  • Children associate fairness with equal visual appearance.

Perspective Taking

• Visual Perception Experiment
  • From different viewpoints, children see different objects.
  • Difficulty in understanding what another person sees from a different angle.
  • Development of ability to understand different perspectives.

Logical Reasoning

• Hammer and Feather Experiment
  • Explores understanding of cause and effect and logical reasoning.
  • Given rule: "If you hit a glass with a feather, it will break."
  • Children struggle with abstract logic; results depend on literal interpretation of rules rather than reality.

Conclusion

• Through experiments and games, children demonstrate evolving cognitive abilities.
• Development stages include understanding object permanence, conservation, fairness, perspective, and logic.