object permanence psychology Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/science/object-permanence Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/science/object-permanence Written by Michael McDonough Michael McDonough was a media team intern at Encyclopaedia Britannica. He is expected to graduate in 2023 from Northwestern University. Michael McDonough Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Sep 9, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents object permanence, the understanding that objects continue to exist outside one’s sensory experience. Its emergence is a major milestone in child cognitive development and signals the ability to form mental representations of objects and events. According to Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget, the emergence of object permanence is the main landmark of the sensorimotor stage of development. If an infant’s toy is hidden from view, an infant who has developed object permanence will understand that the toy still exists and may attempt to look for it. By contrast, an infant without object permanence may become confused or upset in the same ...(100 of 679 words)

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