Chapter 1 Flashcards
Cognition
processes or faculties by which knowledge is acquired or manipulated. It is a reflection of the mind and is not directly observable but must be inferred
- doing mental math
-when a child understands peek-a-boo
-not directly observable but inferred
Development
changes in structure or function overtime. For example, mental abilities, brain structures, physical structures
-changes in structure or function overtime within an individual
-function: an internal or external action put forth by a structure
-Ex: retrieving the name of your 5th grade teacher
Six Truths of Cognitive Development
- Internal and external factors produce cognitive development
- Cognitive development is constructed within a social context
- Cognitive development involves both stability and plasticity overtime
- Cognitive development affects how information is represented
- Children develop increasing intentional control over their behavior and cognition
- Cognitive development involves changes in both domain-general and domain-specific abilities
Structure and Function
-Bi-Directional
-How you think overtime impacts your brain
A Cyclical Process of Development
-Brain Structures connect to Enriching Experiences and Intellect
Nativism
Human intellectual abilities are innate (all biology)
Empiricism
Cognition arises as a result of experience (environment)
Is it nature or nurture?
BOTH, biology and environment are inseparable
Is cognitive development constructed within a social context?
Yes, social determinants of cognition are central to human development theories
Social influences (peers, teachers) and cultural influences (practices, beliefs) affect development significantly
How stable or plastic is cognition?
-Will a witty 4 year old become a talented/creative adult? (stable)
-Will a 5 year old genius turn into an average high school student? (malleable)
Changes in the way Information is Represented
-Mental encoding of information
-Children represent information in different ways
-Individuals can represent information verbally, visually, etc.
-representation of information changes developmentally
-Ex. infants can’t represent objects symbolically, all representations are via their actions with objects
-6-7 years old: can now represent things in terms of language; symbols
Executive Function
a set of control processes that are involved in regulating behavior
Inhibition
resisting prepotent responses
Task switching
ability to switch between different tasks or rules
Updating
continuously updating the contents of memory while performing a task
Where do executive function, inhibition, task switching and updating happen in the brain?
they all stem from the prefrontal cortex
