Psy. 412A Ch. 4 Flashcards
Cephalocaudal
Means advancing from head to tail.
Directionality
A principle of development that refers to how body proportions change.
Proximodistal
Means progressing from the center of the body outward.
Independence Of Systems
A principle of development that asserts that different parts of the body develop along different timetables.
Canalization
Development tends to follow, and return to, a normative course.
Norms
Average outcomes on a characteristic.
Individual Differences
The variation among individuals on a characteristic.
Central Nervous System (CNS)
The division of the nervous system, consisting of the brain and spinal cord, that processes information and directs behavior.
Subcortical Structures
Brain components that control state of arousal.
Limbic System
The part of the nervous system that manages EMOTION
Sensorimotor Cortex
The part of the brain concerned with touch.
Motor Cortex
The part of the brain that controls voluntary movement.
Frontal Cortex
The brain’s command central responsible for thinking, planning, initiative, impulse control, and creativity.
Cortex
Thin layers of outer tissue that cover the brain.
Association Areas
The parts of the brain concerned with awareness, attention, memory, and the integration of information.
Wernicke’s Area
The region on the left side of the brain dedicated to LANGUAGE or SPEECH COMPREHENSION.
Broca’s Area
The region of the brain dedicated to LANGUAGE OR SPEECH PRODUCTION.
Neurons
Cells that carry information across the body and brain.
Cell Body
The part of the cell that contains the nucleus and biochemical mechanisms to keep the cell alive and determine whether the cell will fire.
Synaptogenesis
The development of connections between neurons through the growth of axons and dendrites.
Synaptic Pruning
The process of elimination of unused and unnecessary synapses.
Plasticity
The capacity of the brain to be modified by experience.
Myelin
The white fatty tissue that encases cell axons.
Cerebellum
The part of the brain associated with balance and control of body movements.
Multiple Sclerosis
A disease in which the autoimmune system strips neurons of myelin, leading to loss of motor control.
Microelectrode Recording
A technique used to measure the activity of individual cells.
Electroencephalographic (EEG) Recordings
Measurements acquired with sensors at the scalp that show electrical activity of masses of individual cells.
Event-Related Potentials (ERPs)
Specific patterns of brain activity evoked by a specific stimulus.
Experience-Expectant Processes
Prewired processes in the brain.
Experience-Dependent Processes
Brain processes that involve the active formation of new synaptic connections in response to the individual’s unique experience
Modifiability
A principle of development that assets that, although cells are predestined for specific functions, they CAN be CHANGED.
Sensitive Periods
Times in development when then organism is especially open to environmental influence.
Compensation
A kind of plasticity in which cells substitute for others, permitting recovery of function after loss or damage.
Stem Cells
The newest, youngest, and least developed cells that can be grafted to repair damaged parts of the CNS or replace cells that have died.
Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)
The division of the nervous system that regulates many body activities without out voluntary control, such as breathing, blood flow, or digestion.
Cycle
Moving in an identifiable and predictable rhythm.
Reflexes
Simple, involuntary responses to certain stimuli that have (or had) adaptive significance
Dynamic Systems Theory
A theory that asserts that change in one area of development impacts others.
Infant-Directed Speech
A special speech register reserved for babies that simplifies normal adult-directed speech in many ways.
Multimodal Perceptions
The perception of information about objects and events in the world that stimulates many senses at once.
Order of CNS development
- Subcortical Structures
- Limbic System
- Cortex/Association Areas
