lecture 5: the object concept and mental representations

Question 1

what is object permanence?

Answer 1

objects ocntinue to exist when they are out of sight- retains spatial and physical properties.

Question 2

what are the mental representations?

Answer 2

form internal concpets and representations of the world.

Question 3

what are the 4 stages of Piaget’s theory?

Answer 3

sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational.

Question 4

what age does the sensorimotor stage develop in children?

Answer 4

0-24 months

Question 5

define the sensorimotor stage

Answer 5

learn through action and sensory information. Learn to differentiate self from the environment.
12m- object permanence and full representations at 18-24m.

Question 6

stage 1 and stage 2 of sensorimotor stage include what types of behaviour

Answer 6

• reflexive activity e.g. sucking
• primary circular reactions- simple behaviours.

Question 7

stage 3 of sensorimotor stage includes what kind of reactions

Answer 7

secondary circular reactions- focus on objects and intentionally change surroundings.

Question 8

what is the stage 4 of the sensorimotor stage?

Answer 8

coordination of secondary circular reactions. engage with objects e.g. the a not b error until 12m.

Question 9

what is the A not B error experiment?

Answer 9

how long does it take for the child to notice the object has moved to the second location.

Question 10

what is stage 5 of the sensorimotor stage?

Answer 10

tertiary circular reactions- understand objects through trial and error, demonstrate object permenance but not internal representations.

Question 11

stage 6 of sensorimotor stage

Answer 11

internal representation- mental representations of the world- deferred imitation.

Question 12

piaget’s observations- what are the 3

Answer 12

object permenance, planning, deferrred imitation (copy behaviour after delay).

Question 13

what were the methodological ctiques of Piaget’s observations

Answer 13

observed his own children, no quantitative data gathered, used a more clinical method.

Question 14

what were some of the confounds of Piaget’s observations?

Answer 14

motor coordination could explain result as well as memory problems in the A not B error experiment

Question 15

Butterworth’s replication consists of what 3 conditions?

Answer 15

normal design, covered but visible (transparency) and visible but uncovered.

Question 16

(butterworth) what were the results ?

Answer 16

see errors in the 2 new conditions but there were errors in all conditions even when object was clearly visible- suggesting a lack of coordination.

Question 17

how did Smith & Thelen replicate piaget’s study into object permenance?

Answer 17

infant stood during the B trial

Question 18

what was Smith & Thelen’s results when the child stood up?

Answer 18

allowed them to refresh it was found that standing up made the A position less salient to the child.

Question 19

what are Bower’s findings?

Answer 19

a faster heart rate in the second condition of an empty space which suggests surprise.

Question 20

Baillargeon et al said that infants should look longer at…

Answer 20

the impossible event of the car driving through the box if it is surprising to the child- look longer at impossible.

Question 21

what was Baillargeon et al’s findings?

Answer 21

infants as young as 5m show object permanence and supports that failure on previous tests is due to other cognitive abilities.

Question 22

cliften et al associated what two things for 6m old infants?

Answer 22

small and large objects, each object was associated with a sound.

Question 23

what were the methodological changes that Bower made from Piaget’s experiment?

Answer 23

object still in place versus empty soace- they measure the childs heart rate.

Question 24

what are the results of clifton et al’s study with the associations?

Answer 24

in darkness they tried to reach for objects suggesting due to mental representations.

Question 25

how did claxton et al study 10 month old infants?

Answer 25

encouraged them to throw ball or fit it into a hole.

Question 26

In willats study 9 month old children performed what to get a toy?

Answer 26

a sequences of tasks in order to get the toy from the cloth.

Question 27

meltzoff and moore studied 6 month olds for deferred imitation and found…

Answer 27

infants who saw an adult make a gesture were more likely to perform the facial gesture at a neutral face days later.

Question 28

meltzoff found that for 14m and 16m olds they were more likley to reproduce what compared to those who didnt.

Answer 28

observed actions even after a 4 month delay.