object permanence


ob·ject per·ma·nence

(ob'jekt pĕr'mă-nĕns) Developmental term for a child's ability to understand that objects still exist even when out of sight. Infants 8 months old or younger rarely have this ability.

object permanence

The thought process, first described by Piaget, whereby infants perceive that objects have constancy. This process normally develops by 6 to 12 months of age.