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Infants' search for visible objects: implications for the interpretation of early search errors
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
|October 1, 1985
Summary
Nine-month-old infants searching for hidden objects exhibit perseveration errors. However, when objects are visible, errors suggest attention lapses rather than object permanence misunderstandings, supporting information-processing theories.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Development
- Infant Behavior
Background:
- Understanding infant object search is crucial for cognitive development research.
- Previous studies indicate varying error patterns in object permanence tasks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate error patterns in 9-month-old infants' object search behavior.
- To differentiate errors in searching for hidden versus visible objects.
- To assess the cognitive mechanisms underlying infant search errors.
Main Methods:
- Observing 9-month-old infants' search patterns for hidden and visible objects.
- Comparing search locations (previous hiding place vs. control) in both conditions.
- Analyzing error frequency and type.
Main Results:
- Infants showed significant perseveration when searching for hidden objects.
- Errors were less frequent when objects were visible.
- Visible object errors were equally distributed between previous hiding and control locations.
Conclusions:
- Perseveration in hidden object search suggests memory-based errors.
- Errors with visible objects indicate attentional lapses, not a lack of object understanding.
- Findings align with information-processing models of early cognitive search.