Baillargeon's Explanation and Current Debates

This lesson examines the work of Renée Baillargeon, whose research using the violation of expectation (VoE) paradigm has fundamentally challenged Piaget's account of infant cognition. We also explore broader debates in cognitive development — nature vs. nurture, the role of innate knowledge, and educational applications of developmental theories.

Key Definition: The Violation of Expectation (VoE) paradigm is an experimental method used with infants. It presents events that are either consistent (possible) or inconsistent (impossible) with physical laws. If an infant looks longer at the impossible event, this is taken as evidence that they expected a different outcome — and therefore possess some understanding of the physical principle involved.

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Baillargeon's Research on Object Permanence

The Drawbridge Study (Baillargeon, Spelke, & Wasserman, 1985)

This landmark study challenged Piaget's claim that infants under 8 months lack object permanence.