What is Object Permanence in Psychology?

Have you ever wondered why a baby laughs excitedly during a game of peekaboo or why a toddler is so fascinated with hide-and-seek? These simple yet captivating activities are more than just fun and games; they are pivotal in a child’s cognitive development, specifically in understanding the concept of object permanence. Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist whose groundbreaking work on cognitive development has profoundly influenced our understanding of childhood learning processes, thoroughly examined this fascinating developmental milestone.

Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, which identifies four distinct stages of mental growth, revolutionizes our comprehension of how children learn and perceive the world around them. Central to his theory is object permanence, a critical milestone in the sensorimotor stage, which lays the foundation for a child’s future cognitive abilities, memory, and problem-solving skills. Understanding and fostering this development through interactive play and guided activities can significantly impact a child’s intellectual growth and emotional stability.

Piaget’s theory of cognitive development  

Who is Piaget? 

Jean Piaget was a Swiss psychologist known for his theory of cognitive development, which explores how children’s thinking evolves during childhood. His research highlighted that children think differently from adults and identified key milestones in their mental growth. Piaget’s work is fundamental in psychology and education, emphasizing the importance of childhood in shaping cognitive abilities.

Read More: The Basics of Child Psychology

What is the theory of cognitive development? 

Jean Piaget’s cognitive developmental theory insists on four stages of development. The first stage is called the sensorimotor stage, which lasts from birth to about 2 years old. Infants begin to learn about their environment by using their senses and actions in the sensorimotor stage. They explore objects around them and start to understand cause and effect.  

• The following stage is the preoperational stage, which starts from 2 to 7 years of age. In this stage, children begin to use languages more fluently and engage in imaginative play. They also start to use symbols, like words and images, to represent objects and ideas.  
• The third stage is the concrete operational stage, occurring from around age 7 to 11. The children begin to think more logically and understand concrete relationships. They can solve problems using concrete objects or situations but may struggle with abstract concepts.  
• The final stage is the formal operational stage, which starts around age 12 and continues into adulthood. In this stage, individuals think clearly and use logical reasoning to solve problems. 

Objective Permanence 

Objective permanence is the understanding that objects and people continue to exist even when they are out of sight. Before about 8 months of age, infants typically do not have this ability. They may not search for hidden toys because they believe the objects are not present. As they develop,  usually by 8 to 12 months, infants begin to realize that objects remain present even when hidden,  showing signs of object permanence by actively seeking hidden items.

Read More: Babbling: An Initial Sign of Child Development

Development of Object Permanence 

According to the seminal research done by Piaget, object permanence develops in infants through a progression of sub-stages in the sensorimotor period. 

1. Reflexes (birth to 1 month): The infants explore the world by using reflexes to respond to the stimuli at the beginning of the sensorimotor stage. 
2. Schemas (1 to 4 months): New schemas developed in infants through circular reactions. A baby accidentally sucks its thumb and realizes that it is enjoyable. Then the baby will do the thumb sucking again because it gives pleasure. Here the baby develops the new schema that thumb-sucking gives pleasure. 
3. Intentional actions (4 to 8 months): Infants begin to pay more attention to the environment and perform actions to create a response. 
4. Greater exploration (8 to 12 months): The child’s intentional actions become more effective in the great exploration period. The baby will do behaviours like shaking the toys to produce sounds. And their responses are more coordinated with their environment. 
5. Trial and error (12 to 18 months): The infants use the trial and error concept in their behaviour and learn from that. For example, a baby tries to stick a picture on a sheet by using water (trial) and finds that it cannot work (error), and the baby uses glue to stick the picture (learning). 
6. Object permanence (18 to 24 months): Piaget believed that between 18 and 24 months representational thought begins to emerge in children. At this point, they can do mental representations of objects, and they understand object permanence. 

Importance of Object Permanence

The development of it is an important developmental milestone and it leads to cognitive development in children. It is important for the baby’s development because it is associated with the tasks performed daily. And it helps the growth of working memory and symbolic understanding. Working memory helps us to keep information while we perform cognitive tasks, and it allows us to remember that objects or people still exist when they are hidden or not physically present.

Symbolic representation helps us to understand symbols or mental representations, which stand for real objects. Language is the symbolic representation of words. Lack of it development is a sign of ADHD. People with ADHD have difficulty remembering the object that exists. So that is an important milestone in child development. 

Fostering the Object Permanence 

Playing games with the children, such as peekaboo and pop-up toys, can help the baby to develop it. Some activities, books, and games that involve hidden objects and reappear can help the child to develop object permanence. These help the baby to understand that the objects or persons exist even if they are not physically present. The following games can help the parents foster object permanence in children. 

• Classical peekaboo: Cover your face with your hands, then remove the hands and say  “peekaboo.”
• Peekaboo variations: Put a cloth over your head, then remove the cloth and say  “peekaboo.” If the baby gets a little older, it tries to remove the cloth over the head. • Peekaboo toy: Take a toy of your baby, then hide it behind some object or something and reappear it. 
• Hide and find toys: If your baby begins to crawl, use this technique, which is to hide the baby’s toy while it is watching and encourage the baby to find the toy. Then the baby crawls and finds the toy. 
• Object permanence box: A wooden box game; here the child drops the ball into the hole in the wooden box, and the ball disappears. Then the ball came from the other side of the box. The child will understand that the ball is still there in the box, but in a short period, the ball disappears. 

Consequence of Object Permanence  

The development of object permanence leads to one consequence, which is separation anxiety.  When infants know the object or person is no longer in sight, they often become upset. Then they become anxious when parents or caregivers are no longer visible. One good thing is that anxiety is usually reduced by age 3. However, in some cases, the anxiety becomes more severe and persistent. 

Parents and caregivers‘ responsibilities are crucial in the early cognitive development of their children. So, they should have the proper knowledge about the child’s development and their consequences.  

Frequently Asked Questions 

Why is object permanence development important? 

It is important for the baby’s development because it is associated with the tasks performed daily. And it helps the growth of working memory and symbolic understanding. 

Which age object permanence is developed? 

Usually, by 8 to 12 months, infants begin to realize that objects remain present even when hidden,  showing signs of object permanence by actively seeking hidden items. Piaget says that one meets the milestone of object permanence around the age of two years. 

How does the object permanence develop in children?

We can identify the development of object permanence by some games such as peekaboo and pop-up toys. And through some activities, books, and games that involve hidden objects that reappear. 

What will I do if my child lacks object permanence? 

You can consult with paediatricians and child specialists; they will help you sort out the issues that delay or resist the development of object permanence. 

Read More Articles from Psychologs

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Permissive Parenting: Its Approach and Impact on Child Development 

References +

• MSEd, K. C. (2023, April 26). Object permanence. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-object-permanence-2795405
• Simply Psychology. (2024a, January 24). Piaget’s Stages: 4 Stages of Cognitive Development & Theory. https://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html
• Morgan, K. K. (2023b, November 21). Object permanence: How do babies learn it? WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/baby/what-age-do-babies-have-object-permanence
• Felman, G., Coley, R., Webb, A., Stuckleman, Z., & Newton, E. (2023, September 8). Object permanence: What it is and why it’s important. Lovevery. https://lovevery.com/community/blog/skills-stages/object-permanence/
• Felman, G., Coley, R., Webb, A., Stuckleman, Z., & Newton, E. (2023b, September 8). Object permanence: What it is and why it’s important. Lovevery. https://lovevery.com/community/blog/skills-stages/object-permanence/