Cognitive Development Term

Habituation and recovery - The first term describes the gradual reduction of responsiveness to a repeated stimulus. In other words, we find something less interesting or noticeable once we get used to it. Recovery refers to the return to a high level of responsiveness when a new stimulus is introduced. This is commonly used in psychological tests to study infant cognition and perception. For example, this is measured in infants to determine recognition. After being shown photos of babies’ faces, the baby loses interest (habituation) but perks up when an adult face is shown instead (recovery).

Causality - The concept that one event causes a second event to occur. Some theorists believe this ability is innate while others, including Piaget, believed that the child constructs this knowledge from his experiences with the environment.

Object permanence - The knowledge that unseen things still exist. Showing the baby an interesting toy and then covering it with a blanket is the usual way babies are tested. Piaget believed that when a watching baby did not look under the blanket, it was because the infant thought the hidden toy no longer existed. Many researchers now believe that babies may understand this concept much earlier but lack the motor control to show their knowledge until later.

Imitation - The ability to observe and then repeat an action. Imitation, key for learning in all domains, is evidenced when babies can clap and wave (five to six months). These sorts of actions or gestures are easiest for babies to imitate since they are familiar and visible. Imitation leads to turn-taking games like peek-a-boo, which help babies build this skill needed for communication and social development. There is some evidence that even brand-new neonates are capable of imitation.