Jeff is playing with his rattle when his mother takes it away. Instead of searching for it, he immediately begins to look at the fan. Which of the following best explains why? a. Jeff has infantile amnesia b. Jeff lacks conservation c. Jeff has not yet attained object permanence d. Jeff lacks reversibility
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is: c. Jeff has not yet attained object permanence
Explanation:
Object permanence is a fundamental concept in developmental psychology, referring to a child’s ability to understand that objects continue to exist even when they are no longer visible or perceptible. This concept was introduced by Jean Piaget as part of his theory of cognitive development, particularly within the sensorimotor stage, which typically spans from birth to around two years of age.
In this scenario, Jeff is playing with his rattle when it is taken away by his mother. Rather than searching for the rattle, Jeff immediately turns his attention to something else, such as the fan. This behavior suggests that Jeff does not understand that the rattle still exists even though he can no longer see it. This lack of understanding is a classic sign that he has not yet developed object permanence.
According to Piaget, infants begin to develop object permanence around 8 to 12 months of age. Before this development, when an object is hidden or removed from view, the child acts as if it has ceased to exist. Only after achieving object permanence do children begin to search for hidden objects, showing that they understand the object still exists somewhere out of sight.
The other answer choices are not relevant to this particular behavior. Infantile amnesia refers to adults’ inability to recall memories from early childhood and does not explain Jeff’s current behavior. Conservation refers to understanding that quantity does not change despite changes in shape or appearance, which typically develops later in childhood. Reversibility is the ability to mentally reverse actions, also emerging at a more advanced stage of cognitive development.
Thus, Jeff’s behavior is best explained by his current developmental stage, specifically the fact that he has not yet attained object permanence.
