Which behavior reflects an infant's development of an understanding of object permanence?

• A. Searching for a toy under a blanket
• B. Looking for a toy that was moved and is still visible
• C. Crying when a toy is hidden
• D. Reaching for a toy that is visible

Answer: (A)

Object permanence is the understanding that an object continues to exist even when it can’t be seen. When an infant searches for a toy that’s been covered by a blanket, they’re showing that they expect the toy to still exist and can locate it despite its absence from view. This demonstrates a mental representation of the object’s location and an intentional effort to retrieve it. In contrast, looking for a toy that has merely been moved but remains visible relies on tracking what’s in sight, and crying when a toy is hidden reflects frustration rather than understanding of hidden objects. Reaching for a visible toy shows interest and motor ability but doesn’t reveal knowledge about unseen objects.