area 2 child psychology

Question 1

what is the cerebral cortex responsible for?

Answer 1

higher level thinking

Question 2

what is in the limbic system?

Answer 2

amygdala, ventral striatum, nucleus accumbens

Question 3

what does the limbic system do?

Answer 3

develops in childhood, processes emotional experiences and regulates emotion

Question 4

what is the frontal cortex repsonsible for?

Answer 4

abstract thinking, executive function such as problem solving and decision making

Question 5

what is the auditory visual cortex responsible for?

Answer 5

sensory processing

Question 6

what is the motor cortex responsible for?

Answer 6

movement related information, not full maturity til late development

Question 7

what is synaptogenesis?

Answer 7

the process where new synapses are formed between axon and dendrons
starts before birth and continues postnatally in a process called exuberant synaptogenesis during which possibly one million new synapses are created each second​.
continues by promoting flexibility as our brains become less ‘fixed’ at birth and more open to alteration through experience and learning.

Question 8

what is mylenation?

Answer 8

Myelin is​ fatty substance that insulates many neurons and allows neurons to conduct electrical impulses more efficiently

Question 9

what is synaptic pruning?

Answer 9

synaptic loss which ‘fine tunes’ the brain structures and functioning and works on a ‘use it or lose it’

Question 10

what are some examples of risk taking behaviours?

Answer 10

binge drinking, drug taking, reckless driving, unprotected sex,

Question 11

what did willoughby find?

Answer 11

found that mortality rates increase in adolescence across Western cultures as do unintentional injuries​
Many deaths are preventable however they are often linked to risk taking behaviours such as substance abuse​

Question 12

what is dual systems theory?

Answer 12

interaction of two brain systems that mature at different times.​

Question 13

what are the 2 systems in the dual system theory?

Answer 13

pre frontal cortex and ventral striatum

Question 14

what is the ventral striatum?

Answer 14

emotional regulating system that matures early in adolescence​
includes the nucleus accumbens which is a key component of the brain’s reward system. It is involved in sensation seeking behaviour and addiction, and responds to new experiences.​

Question 15

what is important about the ventral striatum in adolescence?

Answer 15

VS appears to have greater sensitivity to rewards in adolescence than any other age.

Question 16

what did johnston say about the ventral striatum?

Answer 16

found that changes in the VS almost exactly matched the increase in arrests for criminal behaviours that peaks in mid to late adolescence.​

Question 17

what is the pre frontal cortex?

Answer 17

Slower to develop by a few years. This is the cognitive control system and linked to planning, reasoning, decision making, response inhibition, goal directed behaviour and the ability to assess risk.​

Question 18

how does the VS interact with the PFC?

Answer 18

Because the PFC matures later it cannot assert executive control over the VS/NA that rewards sensation seeking behaviours associated with risk taking. imbalance between the two systems only occurs in adolescence

Question 19

what did Meyer & Bucci find?

Answer 19

rats took twice as long as a control group to learn to inhibit a response to an expected reward (one that did not arrive)​​
supported a causal effect between brain system imbalance and impulsive behaviour

Question 20

how did Meyer and Bucci carry out their experiment?

Answer 20

Lab experiment to mimic the system imbalance in adult rats​
They decreased activity in the PFC whilst increasing activity of the NA​

Question 21

what did romer find?

Answer 21

The more stress a child experiences, the more likely they are to engage in risky behaviour in adolescence

Question 22

what did kotch find?

Answer 22

conducted longitudinal study of children at risk of neglect
found that a parental neglect of 2 year old children predicted aggressive behaviour at age 8. There was no such effect when neglect occurred children were over the age of 2.

Question 23

what did De Bellis find?

Answer 23

suggests that neurotransmitters and hormones released during stressful experiences may damage the PFC
prevents the PFC from reaching full maturity and reduces its moderating influence on the VS in adolescence, resulting in more risk taking behaviours

Question 24

what did Fareri & Tottenham find?

Answer 24

also argue that early neglect causes lasting damage to the amygdala and VS both involved in regulating emotion.