Certificate In Psychology (CPSY) Practice Exam

Using the violation-of-expectancies method, what surprising behaviors do infants display concerning physical laws?

1. They show surprise when a hand lets go of an object and the object does not fall.

2. They show surprise at noncausal events.

3. They show surprise when an object appears to have fallen through a solid shelf.

4. All of the answers occur.

The correct answer is: All of the answers occur.

In the violation-of-expectancies method, researchers assess infants' understanding of physical laws by observing their reactions to scenarios that defy these expectations. When infants encounter events that contradict their understanding of how the physical world operates, such as an object not falling when released, reacting to noncausal events, or witnessing an object seemingly falling through a solid surface, they demonstrate surprise. This behavioral response indicates that infants possess an innate expectation about the physical characteristics of objects, including gravity and solidity. Each of the behaviors mentioned in the question highlights a specific physical principle that infants come to expect. For instance, a hand letting go of an object usually results in that object falling due to gravity, and when this does not occur, it violates their expectation, leading to visible surprise. Similarly, noncausal events contradict their acquired understanding of cause and effect, while the idea of an object passing through a solid shelf challenges their grasp of the solidity principle. Since infants display surprise in all these scenarios when they encounter violations, it demonstrates their growing cognitive abilities regarding the physical world. Thus, the answer encompasses all the surprising behaviors exhibited by infants, meaning that option D accurately reflects the observations made in studies on infant expectations regarding physical laws.