Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Early knowledge of object motion: continuity and inertia

E S Spelke1, G Katz, S E Purcell

  • 1Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-7601.

Cognition
|February 1, 1994
PubMed
Summary

Infants understand object continuity early on, inferring connected paths. Knowledge of object inertia, or smooth motion, develops later, emerging around 8-10 months.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Is Quality of Patient-Surgeon Relationship associated with consultation duration in hand surgery?

Hand surgery & rehabilitation·2026
Same author

The Early Psychosis Screener for Internet (EPSI)-SR: Predicting 12 month psychotic conversion using machine learning.

Schizophrenia research·2019
Same author

Economic Impact of a Genomic Companion Diagnostic Test for Breast Cancer Patients in French Private Hospitals.

Value in health : the journal of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research·2016
Same author

Real-time evaluation of individual cow milk for higher cheese-milk quality with increased cheese yield.

Journal of dairy science·2016
Same author

The Infancy of the Human Brain.

Neuron·2015
Same author

Direct MD Simulations of Terahertz Absorption and 2D Spectroscopy Applied to Explosive Crystals.

The journal of physical chemistry letters·2015

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Development
  • Infant Psychology
  • Physics Perception

Background:

  • Early infant understanding of physical properties is crucial for cognitive development.
  • Previous research indicated 4-month-olds grasp object continuity.
  • The development of inertia understanding in infants remains less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate infant inferences about hidden object motion.
  • To determine the developmental timeline for understanding continuity and inertia.
  • To explore the emergence of common sense physics in early development.

Main Methods:

  • Experiments presented hidden, freely moving objects to infants.
  • Infants aged 4, 6, 8, and 10 months participated.
  • Behavioral responses were analyzed to infer infants' expectations of object paths.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • 6- and 10-month-olds inferred continuous, unobstructed paths (continuity).
  • 4- and 6-month-olds did not infer smooth paths (inertia).
  • Inertia understanding emerged by 8-10 months but was weaker than continuity.

Conclusions:

  • Infants develop an understanding of object continuity before inertia.
  • Common sense knowledge of physics develops through enrichment around core principles.
  • This suggests a staged development of physical reasoning in infants.