What term describes the understanding that objects continue to exist even when not seen or heard?

• A. Egocentrism
• B. Object Permanence
• C. Conservation
• D. Representational Thought

Answer: (B)

Object permanence is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they can’t be seen or heard. This idea develops in infancy during the sensorimotor period, as babies learn that a hidden toy or a person behind a screen is still there. When a child who has object permanence watches a toy be covered by a blanket and then continues to look for or retrieve it, that shows they know the object hasn’t vanished. This distinguishes it from other concepts: egocentrism is about not taking another’s point of view, conservation is about recognizing that quantity stays the same despite changes in appearance, and representational thought is about using symbols and mental images to represent things. So the term that fits the description is object permanence.