2.1.6/2.4.1 Developmental Psychology and Key question Flashcards
what are developmental links?
studies following people from conception to old age eg how memory changes and develops and the impact biology and environment have on
3 key areas relating to developmental links
-S&HG research on digit span
-impact of dyslexia
-impact of Alzheimers
how did digit span increase/slow?
5-11 increased by mean 1.37 digits
11-17 increased by 0.7 digits
17 stopped increasing
what is dyslexia?
a reading disorder which affects up to 10% of children and is characterised by problems recognising and decoding words
demonstrations of dyslexia
-difficulty reading fluently
-difficulty learning letter sounds
-spelling problems
link and advice for ‘remembering facts and dates’
-STM struggles to pass info to LTM
-use visual and auditory aids, create mnemonics
link and advice for ‘difficulties multitasking’
-issues with central exec in dividing attention
-step by step instructions, quiet place to study
link and advice for ‘issues reading’
-slower processing speeds due to phonological loop
-extra time in exam, materials given before lesson
link and advice for ‘struggling with sequencing tasks’
-reduced capacity of visuospatial sketchpad
-create lists and visual maps to simplify complex tasks
what was McDougall’s study?
-divided 90 children into poor/moderate/good readers
-poor readers had lower memory spans for words
-poor readers sound words out slowly so less can be held in phonological loop
what was Alloway et al’s study?
studied 46 children with reading disabilities and found they had STM deficits that could be cause
-children have difficulty processing words because they cannot hold sounds in working memory long enough to form word
what is the link between working memory and learning?
-disruption to working memory can prohibit learning
-STM defects could be cause
symptoms of Alzheimers
memory loss
difficulty thinking, problem solving and language
confusion, concentration problems, mood changes
what is Alzheimers?
most common cause of dementia
neurological disorder that occurs when the brain is damaged
when does Alzheimers occur?
usually after 65
progressive and degenerative
what cognitive systems does Alzheimers impact?
memory of new events and info
working memory
central exec
makes complex tasks hard to coordinate
Alzheimers impact on hippocampus
-harder to form new memories and learn new inof
-hippocampus required for retrieval of memories, specifically recent ones
Alzheimers impact on cortex
-becomes thinner so memories from long ago disappear and brain shrinks
Alzheimers impact on left hemisphere
-problems with semantic memory
-problems with language
Alzheimers impact on central exec function
-lack of coordination and attention difficulties
describing key question (dementia)
-55 million people with dementia in world
-help is provided by local authorities eg respite care
-cognitive stimulation helps dementia patients eg discussion and activities
explain 4 symptoms of Alzheimers
-facial recognition lost as spatial and temporal link are lost
-LTM lost as hippocampus is deteriorating, cant be retrieved
-difficult to follow convos as sub vocal rehearsal is restricted
-forget words as short duration in STM, struggle to pay attention,
advice and strategies
-post it notes on objects
-pictures of their life
-keep routine
-present options visually and verbally
-keep diary or joticeboard
