How do infants develop the cognitive super powers that enable them to navigate the world? Psych PhD Chris Cole and cohost Joseph Tajaran discuss our 3 favorite developmental psychology concepts.
- Object permanence: The understanding that objects continue to exist even when no longer visible. Develops between 7-12 months of age. Tested with the A-Not-B Task.
- Theory of Mind: The ability to understand that others have thoughts, beliefs, desires, and intentions that may differ from your own. Develops between 4-5 years of age. Tested with the False Belief Task.
- Conservation: The ability to understand that certain physical properties of objects (e.g., how much water is in a glass) remain the same even when their appearance changes. Develops between 7-11 years of age. Tested with the conservation task.
Check out the video version of this episode on YouTube.