What does the term object permanence refer to?

• A. An infant's developing ability to understand basic laws of physics (ex: gravity).
• B. A child's preference for adult caregivers who they see the most often.
• C. The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen.
• D. Children's ability to use objects as symbols in play.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Object permanence is a fundamental concept in developmental psychology, particularly in the study of cognitive development in infants.
2. The term refers to an infant's understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are not visible or directly observable.
3. This concept is a key milestone in the sensorimotor stage of Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, typically developing between 4 to 7 months of age.
4. To understand object permanence, consider a simple experiment: if you hide a toy under a blanket, a child who has developed object permanence will actively search for the toy, indicating they know it still exists.
5. The development of object permanence is crucial as it lays the foundation for more complex cognitive processes, such as memory and symbolic thought.