Comp. I Flashcards
To learn the language of Competency I through repeated use
development
orderly, adaptive changes that occur in human beings (or animals) between conception and death and remain for a reasonably long period of time
physical development
changes in body structure and function over time
personal development
changes in an individual’s personality that take place as one grows
social development
changes over time in the way an individual relates to others
cognitive development
gradual, orderly changes in mental process such as thinking, reasoning, and decision making that become more complex and sophisticated
maturation
genetically programmed, naturally occurring changes over time
coactions
joint actions of individual biology and the environment that shapes and influences the other
sensitive periods
times when a person is especially read for or responsive to certain experiences
functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
an mri is an imaging technique that uses a magnetic field along with radio waves and a computer to createdetailed pictures of the inside of the body. A functional mri uses the mri to measure the tiny changes that take place in the brain during brain activity
event related potential (erp)
measurements that assess electrical activity of the brain through the skull or scalp
positron emission tomography (PET)
a method of localizing and measuring brain activity using computer assisted motion pictures of the brain
neurons
nerve cells that store and transfer information
neurogenesis
the production of new neurons
synapses
the tiny space between neurons–chemical messages are sent across these gaps
pruning
unused neurons are pruned or removed
experience expectant
an overproduction and pruning process of the brain during specific developmental periods awaiting (expecting) stimulation
experience dependent
a synaptic overproduction and pruning process based on the individuals experiences when the individual is not successful in processing information
glial cells
the white matter of the brain. these cells greatly outnumber neurons and appear to have many functions such as fighting infections, countolling blood flow and communication among neurons, and providing the myelin couting around acon fibers
myelination
the process by which neural fivers are coated with a fatty sheath called myelin that makes message transfer more efficient
lateralization
the specialization of the two hemispheres (sides)of the brain cortex
plasticity
the brain’s tendency to remain somewhat adaptable or flexible
jean piaget
devised a model describing how humans go about making sense of their world by gathering and organizing information. His ideas on cognitive development provide an explanation of the development of thinking from infancy to adulthood
cognitive development
according to piaget, our thinking processes change radically, though slowly, from birth to maturity in four factors–biological maturation, activity, social experiences, and equilibration
organization
ongoing process of attanging information and experiences into mental systems or categories
adaptation
adjustment to the environment
schemes
mental systems or categories of perception and experience
assimilation
fitting new information into existing schemes
accommodation
altering existing schemes or creating new ones in response to new information
equilibration
search for mental balance between cognitive schemes and information from the environment
disequilibrium
in piaget’s theory, the out of balance state that occurs when a person realizes that his or her current ways of thinking are not working to solve a problem or understand a situation
sensorimotor
involving the senses and motor activity
object permanence
the understanding that objects have a separate, permanent existence
goal-directed actions
deliberate actions toward a goal
operations
actions a person carries out by thinking them through instead of literally performing the actions
preoperational
the stage before a child masters logical mental operations
semiotic functions
the ability to use symbols, language, pictures, signs, or gestures, to represent actions or objects mentally
reversible thinking
thinking backward from the end to the begining
conservation
principle that some characteristics of an object remain the same despite changes in appearance
decentering
focusing on more than one aspect at a time
egocentric
assuming that others experience the world the way you do
concrete operations
mental tasks tied to concrete objects and situations
identity
principle that a person or object remains the same over time
compensation
the principle that changes in one dimention can be offset by changes in another
classification
grouping objects into categories
reversibility
a characteristic of piagetian logical operations, the ability to think through a series of steps, then mentally reverse the steps and return to the starting point, also called reversible thinking
seriation
arranging objects in sequential order according to one aspect, such as size, weight, or volume
formal operations
mental tasks involving abstract thinking and coordination of a number of variables
hypothetico deductive reasoning
a formal operations problem solving strategy in which an individual begins by identifying all the factors that might affect a problem and then deduces and systematically evaluates specific solutions
adolescent egocentrism
assumption that everyone else shares ones thoughts, feelings, and concerns
neo piagetian theories
more recent theories that integrate findings about attention, memory, and strategy use with piagets insights about childrens thinking and the construction of knowledge
sociocultural theory
emphasizes role in develoment of cooperative dialogues between children and more knowledgeable members of society. children learn the culture of their community (ways of thinking and behavior) through these interactions
lev vygotsky
this theorist beleived that human activities take place in cultural settins and that they cannot be understood apart from these settings. one of his key ideas was that our specific mental structures and processes can be traced to our interactions with others. these social interactions are more than simple influences on cognitive development they actually create our cognitive structures and thinking processes
co constructed process
a social process in which people interact and negotiate (usually verbally) to create an understanding or to solve a problem. the final product is shaped by all participants
cultural tools
the reall tools (computers, scales, etc.) and symbol systems (numbers, language, graphs) that allow people in a society to communicate, thnk, solve problems, and create knowledge
collective monologue
form of speech in which children in a group talk but do not really interact or communicate
private speech
childrens self talk, which guides their thinking and action. eventually these verbalizations are internalized as silent inner speech
zone of proximal development
phase at which a child can master a talk if given appropriate help and support
scaffolding
support for learning and problem solving, the support would be clues, reminders, encouragement, breaking the problem down into steps, providing an example or anything else that allows the student to grow in independence as a learner
assisted learnign
providing strategic help in the initial stages of learning, gradually diminishing as students gain independence
