Baillargeons

Question 1

AO1 please

Answer 1

Baillargeon argues infants have a physical reasoning system an innate knowledge of the physical world. this cognitive framework gives a basic understanding of physical properties e.g. object permanence helping infants navigate their environment
these early infant abilities are thought to be innate but also develop rapidly
used VIOLATION OF EXPECTATION (VOE) to test for physical reasoning system
infants 2+ years seem to look at impossible things like objects defying gravity

RESEARCH
balligeron truck and ramp research: infants were shown a toy truck rolling down a ramp and a box was placed in the middle of a ramp and it was hidden by a screen. the infants looked longer and confused when the truck seemed to pass through the box showing they were surprised by the violation of their expectation and showing they have object permanence

Question 2

Linking to IAD, what does Baillargeon claim?

Answer 2

She is a nativist and proposes that humans are born with a physical reasoning system.
We have a primitive awareness, are born with a basic understanding of object permanence and develops as we learn from experience
This is evident through us tending to focus more on impossible events

Question 3

disadvantages for B’s theory

Answer 3

Casjon and Cohen argues that infants may look at unexpected things because they rather look odd not because they understand basic principles

A limitation of Baillargeon’s research is that the tasks used are highly artificial. Infants are shown unusual events, such as a toy car appearing to pass through a solid barrier, which they would never normally encounter in everyday life. This raises questions about whether their longer looking times genuinely reflect an understanding of physical laws or simply a reaction to novelty. Because the tasks lack ecological validity, it is difficult to generalize the findings to how infants actually perceive and interact with objects in real‑world settings. Therefore, while the experiments are controlled, they may not accurately capture natural cognitive development.

Another limitation is cultural bias. Baillargeon’s studies were conducted mainly with Western infants, who are often exposed to structured play, toys, and picture books from an early age. In cultures where infants have different experiences and less emphasis on object manipulation, their responses to violation‑of‑expectation tasks may differ. This means the conclusions about innate knowledge of object permanence and physical laws may not apply universally. By assuming Western developmental norms are representative of all infants, the theory risks ethnocentrism and reduces the external validity of the findings.

Question 4

advantage for B’s theory

Answer 4

strongly challenges Piagets research that the age at which infants can respresnt objects is 8 months