Object Permenance Essay

1578 Words7 Pages
Baillargeon, Spelke & Waserman (1985) introduced a new method for testing infant knowledge- the violation of expectation method. Describe the method used by Baillargeon, Spelke & Wasserman, summarise their results, and state what the authors think the results mean. Finally, try to offer an alternative explanation for the results. Describe the method used by Baillargeon, Spelke & Wasserman Testing object permanence Baillargeon, Spelke & Wasserman (1985) used the violation of expectation technique to test object permanence in 5 month-olds. This was an indirect method which focused on the principle that a solid object cannot move through the space occupied by another solid object and did not rely on manual search as an index for object permanence. There are many research strategies and methods for observing, classifying, testing and studying children’s’ development. Observational studies are ideal for discovering questions to ask about various phases and aspects of children’s development in its natural context. In general, the investigators’ aim is to determine as precisely as possible that behaviour and development do not take place without cause. A controlled environment is an important aspect of the technique. In this the experimenter is exercising control over causal variables to understand and interpret the particular behaviour that is being investigated. The independent factor is varied in a systematic way; objective measurements are then made of any changes in the child’s behaviour. Dependent variable is the behaviour that is being measured. Thus the changes in behaviour are dependent upon the changes caused by the independent variable. Note that there is always observation in most experimental studies of children’s development. A ‘structured observation’ arises when the IV (Independent Variable) and the DV (Dependent Variable) are systematically varied and
Open Document