Object Permanence: Definition, Examples, & Cognitive Development​

By Kelsey Schultz, Ph.D. Candidate
The adage “out of sight, out of mind” holds a lot of relevance for cognitive development. Keep reading to learn about object permanence and related concepts.
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Object permanence is something that we mostly take for granted as adults. For example, when we put our dishes in the cupboard we are confident that they still exist even though we can no longer see them. In fact, it can be hard to imagine how it is possible that we are not born with that understanding. Surely the knowledge that objects exist regardless of our ability to sense them is innate, right? 
Research conducted in the early 1950s by Jean Piaget, however, established that object permanence is actually an important cognitive ability that we must develop during infancy. Let’s dig in to the fascinating concept of object permanence.
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What Is Object Permanence? (A Definition)​

As mentioned, object permanence essentially refers to the understanding that objects and entities exist continuously in time and space even when they are not directly perceived. In other words, it is the recognition that whether or not an object can be sensed has no effect on whether or not the object exists (Santrock, 2008).

Examples of Object Permanence​

Examples of object permanence can be observed in everyday scenarios, especially during early childhood development. Here are a few examples you might already be familiar with:
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  • Playing peek-a-boo: In the early stages of development, infants may react with surprise or delight when an object or person reappears after being hidden, demonstrating their evolving understanding of object permanence.
  • Searching for a hidden toy: When a caregiver hides a toy under a blanket or behind an object, a child with developed object permanence skills will actively search for the hidden item, recognizing that it still exists even though it's temporarily out of sight.
  • Finding hidden objects: As children grow, they become more adept at finding hidden objects. For example, if a parent hides a favorite toy in a room, a child will actively search for it based on their understanding that the toy still exists even if they can't see it.
  • Playing with disappearing/reappearing toys: Toys that can disappear and reappear, such as those in a peek-a-boo or nesting toys, can help reinforce the concept of object permanence. Children learn that the hidden part is still present even when not visible.
  • Understanding someone leaving and returning: Toddlers may exhibit signs of object permanence when they react to a caregiver leaving the room. They may become upset initially but then show relief or joy upon the caregiver's return, indicating an understanding that the person continued to exist despite being out of sight temporarily.

Object Permanence and Cognitive Development

Object permanence is a fundamental aspect of cognitive development that emerges in the early months of infancy. In a research setting, object permanence was originally evaluated by covering a toy with a blanket. Piaget observed that some babies would look for the object, indicating that they understood the object still exists somewhere even though they can’t see it. 

Babies who were just beginning to develop this understanding would respond with frustration, suggesting that they suspected it existed but couldn’t understand where it had gone. Finally, babies who had not yet developed object permanence behaved more obliviously, as though they thought the object had ceased to exist (Santrock, 2008).
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It is commonly believed that object permanence begins to emerge at about 9 months; however, more recent research suggests that this cognitive ability may emerge much earlier. For example, one study found evidence that infants as young as 3.5 months old may have some understanding of object permanence (Baillargeon, 1987).

Object Permanence in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

You might have heard that people with ADHD struggle with object permanence. While it isn’t the case that people diagnosed with ADHD are unable to understand that an object’s existence is not dependent on their perception of it, there is perhaps a bit of truth to this suggestion. Specifically, people with ADHD may be more prone to forgetting about things when they can’t directly perceive them.

The relationship between object permanence and ADHD seems to boil down to working memory capacity. Working memory is basically the ability to temporarily hold and manipulate information in your head (Diamond, 2013). Given that object permanence requires holding knowledge of an object’s existence in your head while it is out of sight, it is understood that working memory is an essential component of object permanence. In fact, some object permanence tasks are sometimes used as a way to measure the development of working memory in babies (Lowe et al., 2009).​

Working memory capacity is commonly disrupted in people with ADHD (Willcutt et al., 2005). This is likely due to the fact that attention is important for working memory and the ability to sustain attention is one of the primary deficits in ADHD (Fukuda & Vogel, 2009). Thus, it can be challenging for people with ADHD to remember the existence of an object (or sometimes even other people) when it is not being immediately perceived.

Object Permanence in Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a complex mental health condition characterized by pervasive patterns of instability in mood, self-image, behavior, and interpersonal relationships. One theory of BPD is that individuals living with the disorder struggle with what is known as object constancy (Fuchs, 2007). Object constancy is similar to object permanence in that it involves creating a stable mental representation of an object (or person), but it does not refer specifically to the understanding that the object still exists.

For example, knowing that your mother still exists when she is in the other room is object permanence, but knowing that she still loves you when she hasn’t called for a week would be object constancy.

Challenges with object constancy may be the source of some of the instabilities common to BPD. For example, it is suggested that deficits in object constancy contribute to the unstable self-image that is often observed in people with BPD (Fuchs, 2007).​

It is also thought that object constancy may underlie the interpersonal issues commonly experienced by people with BPD (Seiffert et al., 2023). For example, people with BPD are particularly sensitive to perceived rejection and are often intensely afraid of abandonment (Seiffert et al., 2023). Insecurity around relationships is most prevalent when the other person is not physically present. That is, people with BPD have a hard time feeling close to another person and believing that person’s feelings about them have remained constant when they are not there with them.

Object Permanence and Piaget​

Jean Piaget was a Swiss psychologist whose groundbreaking work in developmental psychology revolutionized our understanding of how children learn and perceive the world around them. Born in 1896, Piaget was intrigued by the development of knowledge in children and devoted his career to studying the cognitive processes that underlie this development. He proposed a theory that suggests children progress through four distinct stages: the sensorimotor stage, the preoperational stage, the concrete operational stage, and the formal operational stage. Piaget's theory emphasized the active role of children in constructing their understanding of the world through interactions with their environment.

Object permanence is one of the fundamental concepts in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. He discovered object permanence through a series of observations and experiments with infants. In his studies, he noticed that very young infants did not seem to search for objects that were hidden from their view. However, as infants grew older, they began to demonstrate behaviors suggesting an understanding that objects continued to exist even when they were out of sight (Berger, 2014). Piaget designed experiments to systematically investigate this phenomenon. For example, he might show an infant a toy and then hide it under a blanket. If the infant reached for the toy or looked for it after it was hidden, Piaget interpreted this as evidence of object permanence. Through these observations and experiments, Piaget concluded that object permanence emerges in infants around 8 to 12 months of age, marking a significant milestone in their cognitive development.

Psychology of Object Permanence

The psychology of object permanence is rooted in the broader field of cognitive development, particularly within the context of developmental psychology. This concept is closely associated with the pioneering work of Jean Piaget, who proposed a comprehensive theory of cognitive development.

Below are a few key aspects of the psychology of object permanence (Berger, 2014; Santrock, 2008):
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  • Sensorimotor stage: Piaget identified a series of developmental stages, and object permanence is particularly prominent in the sensorimotor stage, which spans the first two years of life. During this stage, infants gradually move from reflexive, instinctual behavior to more purposeful and intentional actions.
  • Emergence of object permanence: In the early substages of the sensorimotor stage, infants initially lack a clear understanding of object permanence. When an object is out of sight, the baby may behave as though it no longer exists. However, as they progress through the substages, typically by around 8 to 12 months of age, they begin to develop object permanence. 
  • Representation of mental images: Object permanence is closely tied to the ability to mentally represent objects. As infants develop the capacity to create mental images of objects in their minds, they can understand that these mental representations persist even when the actual objects are not visible.
  • A notable cognitive milestone: The acquisition of object permanence is considered a significant cognitive milestone in a child's development. It marks the beginning of more advanced problem-solving abilities, memory formation, and a more nuanced understanding of the world.
  • Impact on learning: The understanding of object permanence has implications for various cognitive processes. It allows individuals to comprehend the continuity of the external world, remember the existence of objects, and engage in more complex problem-solving tasks.
  • Research and developmental studies: Object permanence has been extensively studied through experiments and observations in developmental psychology. Piaget's classic experiments, such as the A-not-B task and the peek-a-boo game, have been instrumental in understanding the emergence and development of object permanence in infants.

Object Permanence in Relationships

In the context of relationships, the term "object permanence" is not typically used in the same way as it is in developmental psychology. However, a related concept in interpersonal relationships might be described as the ability to maintain a sense of connection, trust, and commitment even when a partner is not physically present or when the relationship encounters challenges. This concept is sometimes referred to as emotional permanence (Ingham, 2023) and may also be referred to as object constancy (Seiffert et al., 2023).​

For a healthy relationship to thrive, both partners need to possess a sense of emotional permanence regarding their bond with each other. This means they trust that their partner's love, commitment, and support remain constant even during times of physical separation or conflict. Without this sense of emotional permanence, individuals may struggle with insecurity, jealousy, or fear of abandonment, leading to difficulties in maintaining healthy relationships (Ingham, 2023). As mentioned previously, this difficulty maintaining emotional permanence (or object constancy) is frequently an issue for people with borderline personality disorder, contributing to the interpersonal challenges they commonly experience (Seiffert et al., 2023).

Emotional permanence also influences how partners navigate periods of distance or adversity in their relationship. Those with a strong sense of emotional permanence can withstand temporary separations or challenges, knowing that their connection with their partner remains intact. They are better equipped to communicate openly, resolve conflicts constructively, and provide emotional support during times of need.

Conversely, individuals who lack emotional permanence may experience heightened anxiety or doubt when their partner is not physically present or when facing relationship difficulties. They may engage in behaviors such as excessive clinginess, jealousy, or controlling behavior as a way to cope with their fear of losing the relationship.

Articles Related to Object Permanence​

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Books Related to Object Permanence​

If you’d like to keep learning more, here are a few books that you might be interested in.

Final Thoughts on Object Permanence​

Object permanence, as originally conceived by Jean Piaget in the 1950s, refers to the understanding that an object’s existence is not dependent on our perception of it. Development of object permanence is an important milestone in our early years and can be observed in a variety of contexts including laboratory experiments and a simple game of peek-a-boo. Though object permanence is something that we all acquire by the time we reach adulthood, there are related concepts we may continue to struggle with throughout our lives. For example, people with ADHD may be inclined to forget an object exists when it isn’t visible and may need to implement systems to help remind them of important objects or tasks. Similarly, people with borderline personality disorder may struggle with object constancy or emotional permanence, which can negatively impact their relationships with others. For more on object permanence, check out this video:

Video: What Is Object Permanence?

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