Object Concept and Mental Representations Flashcards

1
Q

What is the understanding of object permanence

A
  • Objects continue to exist even when they are out of sight
  • The occluded object retains its spatial and physical properties
  • The occluded object is still subject to physical laws
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2
Q

How is mental representation necessary to object concept?

A

It is necessary for planning and deferred imitation

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3
Q

What are the stages in Piaget’s Theory (and the estimated ages for each)?

A
  1. 0 to 2 – Sensorimotor
  2. 2 to 7 – Pre-operational
  3. 7 to 11 – Concrete Operational
  4. 11+ – Formal Operational
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4
Q

At what age is object permanence attained?

A

12 months

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5
Q

At what age do full internal representations start to form?

A

18-24 months

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6
Q

What are the 6 sub-stages of the Sensorimotor Stage?

A
  • Reflex activity
  • Primary circular reactions
  • Secondary circular reactions
  • Coordination of secondary circular reactions
  • Tertiary circular reactions
  • Internal representation
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7
Q

Explain stage 1 of Sensorimotor

A

Reflex activity (0-1 month)
- Practice innate reflexes (ex. sucking, looking)

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8
Q

Explain stage 2 of Sensorimotor

A

Primary circular reactions (1-4 months)
- Simple behaviours derived from basic reflexes
- Start repeating behaviour (ex. thumb-sucking)
- Focused on body
- No differentiation between self and outside world

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9
Q

Explain stage 3 of Sensorimotor

A

Secondary circular reactions (4-10)
- “secondary” behaviors = own, not reflexes
- Start to focus on objects
- Begin to change surroundings intentionally (ex. kick legs, hit mobile)
- Establish connection between body movement and external environment

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10
Q

Explain stage 4 of Sensorimotor

A

Coordination of secondary circular reactions (10-12 months)
- Engage with objects using a variety of actions
- Combine actions to achieve goals and solve novel problems (but not insightful; use of trial and error)
- A-not-B errors until 12 months

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11
Q

Explain stage 5 of Sensorimotor

A

Tertiary circular reactions (12-18 months)
- Still repetitive or circular behaviors
- Discover the properties of objects and the environment
- Understand objects through trial and error
- Improvements in problem-solving (experiment with new actions and modify unsuccessful actions)
- Still lack internal representations

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12
Q

Explain stage 6 of Sensorimotor

A

Internal representation (18-24 months)
- Now has mental representation of the world (can think and plan actions, deferred imitations)
- Solve novel problems insightfully
- Goal-directed, structured behavior (planning)

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13
Q

What is deferred imitation?

A

Copying a certain behavior after a delay; Not until stage 6

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14
Q

What are the critiques on Piaget’s methods?

A
  • Observational methods, often with own children
  • Quantitative, experimental data is rare
  • Uses “clinical method” rather than standardised
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15
Q

What are the confounds in Piaget’s Theory?

A
  • Motor coordination and motor planning deficits (inability to perform coordinated actions; means-end)
  • Memory deficits
  • Communication (biased by cues)
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16
Q

What are the critiques on Piaget’s findings?

A
  • Other following literature found skills like basic object permanence, planning and deferred imitation to develop earlier than Piaget expected
  • Younger infants could show some evidence if procedure in exp were simplified (either change the procedure or change the dependent var)
17
Q

Explain Butterworth’s (1977) study for A-not-B error

A
  • 3 conditions: normal design, covered but visible, visible and uncovered
  • Errors in all 3 conditions, even when object covered but visible (reflects lack of coordination, not necessarily lack of object permanence)
18
Q

Explain Smith & Thelen’s (2003) study for A-not-B error

A
  • One variation had infant stand instead of sit during B trial
  • 10m old infants performed like 12m old
  • Standing made the A position less salient
19
Q

What methodological changes were made to Piaget’s?

A
  • Darkness rather than occlusion by other objects (visual vs manual search)
  • Take away the necessity of reaching
  • Violation of expectation (possible and impossible events; show diff reactions to impossible event)
20
Q

Explain Bower’s (1982) study on object permanence

A
  • Infants a few months old are shown object, screen moved in front of object, then returned to original position
  • 2 conditions: object still in place vs empty space
  • monitored child’s heart rate
  • Faster heart rate (more surprise) in second (empty) condition
21
Q

Describe Baillargeon et al.’s (1985) study conditions

A
  • Experiment: Preference for impossible event
  • Control: Only those who saw 180 event first, showed preference, only on 1st trial
  • SO: Not because preferred 180 event but because expectations violated
22
Q

What is the conclusion drawn from Baillargeon et al’s (1985) study?

A
  • Infants expected the screen to stop against the box
  • Infants understood the box continued to exist
23
Q

Compare between Baillargeon et al’s (1985) study to Piaget’s Theory

A
  • Infants as young as 5m show object permanence (not an extension or repetition of previous action)
  • Supports the idea that failure on previous test results of interaction with other cognitive abilities
23
Q

Describe Clifton et al’s (1991) study

A
  • Presented 6m olds with small (required 1 hand grasp) and large (2 hand grasp) objects
  • Each object made identifying sound
  • Infants made appropriate grip to reach for objects in darkness
  • Authors conclude this is based on mental representation
23
Q

Describe Meltzoff & Moore’s studies on deferred imitation

A

Meltzoff & Moore (1994)
- Some infants saw adults make facial gesture, some saw neutral expression
- Day later, those who saw gesture were more likely to perform it to a neutral face

Meltzoff (1995)
- Experimenter performed series of actions with objects
- Both ages more likely to reproduce observed actions than those who did not see them
- Even after a FOUR MONTH delay

23
Q

Describe Willatts’ (1989) study on planned actions

A
  • Toy out of reach on a cloth
  • Cloth and toy blocked by a barrier
  • 9m old children performed sequence of actions to get a toy
  • Many on 1st attempt -> Mental representation of the world was used to organise behavior
23
Q

Describe Claxton et al’s (2003) study

A
  • Differences in motor patterns in adults for planned actions (precise actions = slower approach)
  • 10m infants encouraged to throw ball or fit it into a hole
  • If motor patterns determined by ball properties, should find no difference
  • If determined by upcoming action, should find a difference
  • Reaching action slower for precise action
24
Q

Describe Patel et al’s (2013) study on why context matters

A
  • 6m, 9m, 24m tested using puppet paradigm w/ 24h delay
  • Varied the context during retrieval (auditory and visual)
  • Full flexibility/generalisation not achieved until 12m
24
Q

Describe Barr et al’s (1996) study

A
  • Infants saw a series of actions with puppet and had to repeat after a 24h delay
  • Children given 3 repetitions of actions -> 6m with no difference from control -> Supports Piaget’s views
  • Additional 6m-olds given 6 repetitions of actions -> 6m now score significantly higher than control -> Evidence of deferred imitation in 6m olds