2011-02-04
Explanation
This comic plays on the concept of "object permanence," a developmental psychology term describing the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen. Infants typically develop object permanence around 8-12 months of age; before that, if an object is hidden from view, the baby behaves as though it has ceased to exist entirely.
In the comic, a parent hides a ball behind their back and asks the baby "Where's the ball?!" -- a classic peek-a-boo style game parents play with infants. The humor comes from giving the baby an adult voice and self-awareness. The baby angrily explains that he literally lacks object permanence and genuinely believes the ball ceased to exist when it was hidden. He is frustrated that his parent keeps repeating this game when the baby has already explained his cognitive limitation. Yet in the final panel, when the ball reappears, the baby cannot help but react with pure delight ("YAAAAYYYY!"), perfectly illustrating the concept -- despite his intellectual understanding of his condition, he still experiences the world exactly as developmental psychology predicts.