A new method was devised to test object permanence in young infants. Five-month-old
infants were habituated to a screen that moved back and forth through a 180-degree arc, in
the manner of a drawbridge. After infants reached habituation, a box was centered behind
the screen. Infants were shown two test events: a possible event and an impossible event. In
the possible event, the screen stopped when it reached the occluded box; in the impossible
event, the screen moved through the space occupied by the box. The results indicated that …

A new method was devised to test object permanence in young infants. Fivemonth-old
infants were habituated to a screen that moved back and forth through a 180-degree arc, in
the manner of a drawbridge. After infants reached habituation, a box was centered behind
the screen. Infants were shown two test events: a possible event and an impossible event. In
the possible event, the screen stopped when it reached the occluded box; in the impossible
event, the screen moved through the space occupied by the box. The results indicated that …