Houdini is a normally developing one-year-old watching a magic act. The magician he is observing has just rolled a ball into what looks like a solid wall. However, when the ball reached the wall, the ball appeared to roll through it. According to research findings by Baillargeon, one would expect that Houdini's most likely reaction would involve
A)disinterest and immediate looking away.
B)surprise, yet immediate looking away.
C)disinterest, yet the infant will stare at the spot the ball appeared to go through the wall.
D)surprise, and the infant will stare at the spot the ball appeared to go through the wall.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Baillargeon's research suggests that infants as young as four months old have a basic understanding of object permanence, the knowledge that objects continue to exist even when they are out of sight. Therefore, when Houdini sees the ball seemingly pass through the solid wall, he would likely be surprised and stare at the spot where the ball disappeared, as it goes against his understanding of object permanence. Option D is the best choice as it includes both surprise and staring at the spot, based on Baillargeon's findings.

Houdini Is a Normally Developing One-Year-Old Watching a Magic Act