Trevor is an infant who is happily playing with a toy train. His father picks him up for his nap. Trevor fusses because he wants his train. His father takes the train and puts it under the blanket on the floor. Trevor doesn't look for the train and lets his father take him to his room to nap. According to Piaget, what cognitive concept is Trevor not yet capable of?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Trevor is not yet capable of object permanence, which is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen or heard. In this situation, Trevor did not search for the toy train that was hidden under the blanket, which indicates he did not understand that the toy still existed. Habituation and dishabituation refer to the process of becoming familiar and then showing renewed interest to a stimulus, which is not applicable in this scenario. Accommodation refers to the process of adjusting one's mental schemas to fit new information, which is also not applicable in this scenario.

Trevor Is an Infant Who Is Happily Playing with a Toy