DP #4 Critical and sensitive periods

Question 1

What is Maturation?

Answer 1

• Behaviours and activities that occur at particular times in our development. These developmental activities depend on how ready or mature the central nervous system and the body are to demonstrate a specific behaviour.
• If these periods of time are missed, learning a particular cognitive or motor skill, or emotional competence can be difficult or in some cases impossible.

Question 2

What is the sensitive period of development?

Answer 2

• Begins and ends gradually
• Is a period of maximal brain growth, after which development within a particular area will take more effort, be slower and be incomplete
• Is a period of development when an organism is mature enough to do the behaviour
• is the best time to be exposed to a particular environmental stimulus because the brain can process and respond to the stimuli

Question 3

What is the Critical period of development?

Answer 3

• When an organism is most open to acquiring a specific cognitive or motor skill or socio-emotional competence, as a normal part of development, that cannot be acquired normally at a later stage of development

-Small window of opportunity to learn a behaviour. When window closes, the learning becomes impossible to learn

• Shorter time frames compared to sensitive periods