Five-month-old Eric picks up his mother's keys and begins to put them in his mouth. His mother takes the keys away from Eric, and he begins to cry. However, as soon as she puts the keys out of sight behind her back, Eric stops crying and becomes interested in something else. This story demonstrates Eric's lack of
A)conservation.
B)transformation.
C)egocentrism.
D)object permanence.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eric's behavior demonstrates a lack of object permanence, which is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, heard, or touched. At five months old, many infants have not yet developed this concept, so when Eric's mother hides the keys, he behaves as if they no longer exist and shifts his attention elsewhere.

Five-Month-Old Eric Picks Up His Mother's Keys and Begins to Put