Psychology: Neuroscience and Child Development Flashcards
medulla
part of the brainstem; it is also responsible for heartbeat, breathing, swallowing etc
Brainstem
part of the brain responsible for automatic survival functions (breathing, heartbeat)
reticular formation
controls wakefulness and arousal
thalamus
brain’s sensory switchboard, directs message to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex
cerebellum
helps coordinate voluntary movements and balance
limbic system
ring of structures that regulates important functions such as memory, fear, aggression, hunger, thirst
the limbic system includes within it the hypothalamus, hippocampus and amygdala
hypothalamus
below the thalamus that helps regulate hemostatic functions such as hunger, thirst, body temperature
also responsible for the fight or flight mechanism, emotion, pleasure and sexual functions
hippocampus
processes and stores memories
amygdala
controls emotional responses such as fear and anger
corpus callosum
connects the two brain hemispheres and allows the to communicate with one another
frontal lobes
responsible for advanced cognitive abilities such as judgement and planning (contains Broca’s area) and some motor movement
parietal lobes
includes the somatosensory cortex and general association areas used for processing information
occipital lobes
visual processing areas of the brain
temporal lobes
auditory processing center
motor cortex
control voluntary movement; component of the frontal lobe
somatosensory cotex
registers and processing body sensations; component of the parietal lobe
Broca’s area
directs muscle movements involved in speech (left frontal lobe)
Wernicke’s area
part of brain involved language comprehension (left temporal lobe)
case study
a research technique in which one person is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles
Phineas Gage
a railroad worker in 1848 who obtained a traumatic injury to his frontal lobe; the personality changes that resulted allowed us to understand that the frontal lobe heavily influences personality and judgement
computerized axial tomography (CAT scan or CT scan)
a series of x-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by the computer into a composite representation of a slice through of the body; basically this allows us to see the structure of the brain
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images that distinguish among soft types of tissue; this allows us to see the structures within the brain
electroencephalogram (EEG)
an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity a that sweep across the brain’s surface; these waves, measured by electrodes places on the scalp are helpful in evaluating brain function
positron emission tomography (PET) scan
a visual display of brain activity
The Main Functions of the Right Hemisphere
responsible for spatial abilities (such as organizing items within a given space); also allows us to establish connections between words
The Main Functions of the Left Hemisphere
the speech center of the brain
zygote
a fertilized egg; a zygote remains a zygote during the first two weeks where the cell begins to divide and the resulting cells start to differentiate
embryo
the baby is now called an embryo from two weeks to 8 weeks where one can detect a heartbeat, red blood cells are produced by the baby’s own liver as the major organs begin to form
fetal alcohol syndrome
physical and cognitive abnormalities that appear in children whose mothers consumed large amounts of alcohol while pregnant; abnormalities include misproportioned head and facial features and struggling cognitive skills that can take place well into adulthood
maturation
biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior; experience does not influence maturation but it is purely effected by genetic predisposition; experience does influence development such a reading and social skills however
brain development
at birth we do not have the neural pathways that allow us to memorize events and move the way that we do now.
schemas
concepts or metal frameworks that organize and interpret information
assimiliation
interpreting your new experiences in terms of your existing schemas
accommodation
adapting your current schemas to incorporate new information
Sensorimotor Stage of Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development
takes place from birth to two years; characterized by experiencing the world through senses and actions (looking, touching, mouthing, and grasping); object permanence is a key development that takes places during this stage
Preoperational Stage of Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development
takes place from two years to six or seven; characterized representing things with words and images but lacking logical reasoning; key developmental events pretend play, egocentrism, and language development
Concrete Operational of Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development
takes place from 6 or 7 to 11 years; marked by thinking logically about concrete events, grasping concrete analogies and performing arithmetical operations; developmental events are marked by understanding of conservation and mathematics operations
Formal Operational of Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development
from 12 years through adulthood; marked by abstract reasoning and potential for mature moral reasoning
Critiques of Piaget’s Assessments
- does not take into account culture
- puberty is not taken account for (between 12 y.o. and adulthood)
- often underestimated a child’s cognitive capacities resulting in distorted age ranges
attachment
the emotional tie with another person shown by seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress upon separation
stranger anxiety
the fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age
Components of Attachment: Body Contact
being held and comforted by a caregiver has been shown to be more effective in forming attachment than simply be nourished by a caregiver (Harlow’s experiment with baby monkey’
Components of Attachment: Familiarity
familiarity to overcome stranger anxiety and foster contentment
Reponsiveness
responsiveness- parents are aware of what their child is doing and respond accordingly
secure attachment
children explore their environment when the caregiver is present; upon departure they become distressed and run to the caregiver union reunion
insecure attachment
are often clingy to the parent when present; when the caregiver leaves they cry or show indifference to the caregiver’s departure and return
insecure ambivalent attachment
child shows no sign of emotion (distress or contentment)
insecure avoidant attachment
child removes his or herself from the presence of the caregiver (but does not show emotion)
disorganized insecure attachment
the child is sometimes ambivalent or sometime avoidant
authoritative parenting
a style of parenting marked by making demands on the child, being responsive, setting and enforcing rules, and discussing the reasons behind the rules
authoritarian parenting
a style of parenting marked by imposing rules and expecting obedience
permissive parenting
a style of parenting marked by by submitting to children’s desires, making few demands, and using little punishment
indifferent parenting
style of parenting where the is passiveness between both parties, little warmth, communication and expectations are present
pons
responsible for sleep and muscle control
