What is object permanence and at approximately what age does it typically emerge?

What is object permanence and at approximately what age does it typically emerge?

• A. The knowledge that objects can be represented by numbers and symbols; emerges around 2 years.
• B. The understanding that objects continue to exist even when not seen; typically emerges around 8-12 months.
• C. The ability to empathize with others.
• D. The capacity to walk.

Answer: (B)

Object permanence is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are not visible. This shows infants are beginning to form mental representations of the world. It typically appears around 8 to 12 months, as babies start searching for partially hidden objects and look for things that disappear from sight. The other ideas don’t fit this concept: symbolic thinking (representing objects with numbers or symbols) develops later, around age 2; empathy is a social-cognitive skill that emerges over toddlerhood; walking is a motor milestone usually achieved sometime in the first year.

Object permanence is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are not visible. This shows infants are beginning to form mental representations of the world. It typically appears around 8 to 12 months, as babies start searching for partially hidden objects and look for things that disappear from sight. The other ideas don’t fit this concept: symbolic thinking (representing objects with numbers or symbols) develops later, around age 2; empathy is a social-cognitive skill that emerges over toddlerhood; walking is a motor milestone usually achieved sometime in the first year.