Cognition

Question 1

what is the dual-hormone hypothesis?

Answer 1

testosterone + cortisol jointly regulate status-seeking tentendcies

Question 2

who initially started to research cognitive abilities in children? why did he start his work?

Answer 2

Jean Piaget

he noticed children were answering questions wrong on tests he wanted to standardize so he observed that children reason differently at different ages

Question 3

3 processes Piaget suggested:

Answer 3

Assimilation
Accommodation
Equilibration

Question 4

what were the stages of development according to Piaget? milestones and which is most important for adolescence?

Answer 4

sensorimotor (0-2): object permanence, language aquisition
Preoperational (2-7): symbolic thinking, egocentrism
concrete operational (7-11): conservation, decentration
formal operational (11-12+): hypothetico-deductive reasoning

formal operational

Question 5

competence performance gap:

Answer 5

knowing something but not having the skills to explain it. What they know vs. how well they can explain it.

Question 6

What are the different steps of information processing theory?

Answer 6

attention (selective, divided), memory (working, long-term (autobiographical), speed, organization

Question 7

what are the two periods where there is an overproduction of synapses?

Answer 7

0-2, 10-12 (frontal lobe, plan, problem solve)

Question 8

pruning

Answer 8

synapses that are unused die to make better/stronger ones (grey matter)

whatever we chose to keep will continue in adolescence

Question 9

myelin

Answer 9

white (matter) fatty substance that protects the axon to promote the speed of messages

Question 10

age of opportunity
(ex:opportunity to do better)

Answer 10

The brain is still very plastic and changes in response to experience, so there are changes in the neural structures of our brain

ex: negative experiences can lead to someone being more susceptible to peer pressure

Question 11

Pre-frontal cortex

Answer 11

Brain’s CEO - planning, memory, mood, organization

• adolescents are more likely to act without thinking, and have more cognitive flexibility

Question 12

Amygdala

Answer 12

responsible for emotional responses (fear, anger, love)

Question 13

Limbic system

Answer 13

develops before the pre-frontal cortex which leads to a higher risk of delinquency

Question 14

hippocampus

Answer 14

the brains filing cabinet

Question 15

what are the 5 cognitive milestones?

Answer 15

Relativism, thinking about thinking (egocentrism), multidimensionality, abstract thinking, thinking about possibilities (mentalizing)

Question 16

Thinking about possibilities (mentalizing)

Answer 16

stop thinking of things at face value -> arguing with parents

using hypotheses and deducing inferences

think what might’ve been “if/then”

mentalizing: understanding the perspectives and mental states of others

Question 17

abstract concepts

Answer 17

abstract reasoning

understand the importance of friendships + relationships

politics, philosophy, religion

Question 18

thinking about thinking (egocentrism)

Answer 18

metacognition: monitor+evaluate their thinking

introspection, self-consciousness

starts in childhood - peaks in adolescence (11-17)

Egocentrism:
imaginary audience: “everyone is looking at me”
personal fable: “I’m unique no one understands me”
invincibility: “nothing bad will happen to me”

Question 19

multidimensionality

Answer 19

can describe things in more complex ways
ex: I like math cause … and science cause…

understand double-entendres

Question 20

relativism

Answer 20

they argue with things that they see aren’t absolute facts
- must do their own research

skepticism: they doubt what they’re told

Question 21

The social brain

Answer 21

activates when inferring other’s facial expressions -> reactive to moods

face processing = high activation in PFC

mentalizing: understanding sarcasm, perspective-taking

Question 22

What are causes/outcomes of the social brain?

Answer 22

sensitivity to social cues: what your peers think/say about you

more susceptible to peer pressure: limbic system b4 pfc = more emotional + unreasonable

Question 23

Anorexia nervosa

Answer 23

• doesn’t eat : afraid of gaining weight
• amenoria: period is delayed for at least 3 months

Question 24

Bulimia

Answer 24

also fear of weight gain but instead there is binge eating involved with moments of purging (compensatory behavior (vomiting, dieting pills, laxatives
- more than 2 times a week for a min of 3 months

Question 25

Binge-eating disorder

Answer 25

bulimia minus the purging
1 time a week for a minimum of 3 months
very full = depression, shame, guilt

Question 26

Avoidant/restrictive

Answer 26

doesn’t eat, not cause of fear of weight gain but because of a fear of eating (ex: choking,

undernourrished