Baillargeon's explanation of early infant abilities, including knowledge of the physical world
Renée Baillargeon argued that babies understand basic physical rules far earlier than Piaget claimed. Her research showed infants as young as 3–4 months expect solid objects to behave predictably in the world.
Real World
Baillargeon's work influenced how IKEA designs early-years toy packaging — developers reference infant physical knowledge research to ensure toys match what babies already intuitively expect about solidity and support.
Exam Focus
Name the drawbridge paradigm and state the age (3–4 months) — vague answers about 'babies knowing things early' will not score AO1 marks.
Evaluation Scaffold
A four-step framework for high-quality evaluation. Use this for 'assess', 'evaluate', and 'to what extent' questions.
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