The present article is a review of infants’ search for hidden persons.
Studies investigating the presence of the so-called positive
decalage—the claim, originating from Piaget, that person permanence
precedes object permanence—are presented and discussed. Attempts are made
to pinpoint, clarify, and summarise the potential confounding variables that have
troubled this field of research (e.g., different object sizes; different search
demands; confusing familiarity and motivational aspects). It is argued that
Piaget’s term positive decalage is inadequate considering the existing
data, and an alternative approach to infants’ search for hidden persons, a
time table approach, is presented. Finally, directions for future
research and specific studies are proposed.
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