Which term describes infants' concept of object permanence as a basic cognitive function?

• A. Object permanence
• B. Sensorimotor
• C. Fine motor
• D. Sensory exploration

Answer: (A)

Object permanence is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are out of sight. This recognition is a foundational cognitive function in infancy, marking how early thinking about the world persists beyond immediate perception. The term described here is the concept itself, making it the best fit. Other terms relate to broader ideas—sensorimotor refers to the developmental stage where this understanding emerges, fine motor to movement skills, and sensory exploration to how infants investigate with their senses—so they don’t name the concept as directly as object permanence does.