The Brain And Cognative Development Chapter 3 Flashcards
Developmental perspective in which biological processes and environmental conditions influence the brains development: the brain has plasticity and is context dependant: and cognitive develops is closely linked with brain development
Neuroconstructivist view
Nerve cells, which are the nervous systems basic units
Neurons
The process by which the axon portion of the neuron becomes covered and insulated with a layer of fat cells, which increases the speed and efficiency of information processing in the nervous system
Myelination
Gaps between neurons, where connections between the axon and dendrites occur
Synapses
A large bundle of axon fibers that connect the brains left and right hemispheres
Corpus collosum
The highest level of the brains frontal lobes that is involved in reasoning, decision making, and self control.
prefrontal cortex
A lower subcortial system in the brain that is the seat of emotions and experience reawrds
limbic systme
A portion of the brains limbic system that is the seat of emotions such as anger
Amygdala
A mental concept or framework that is useful in organising and interpreting information
Schema
The incorporation of new information into existing knowledge
assimilation
An adjustment of a schema in response to new information
accomodation
A mechanisim in Piagets theory that explains how individuals shift from one state of thought to the next. The shift occurs as individuals experience cognative conflict or disequalillbrium intrying to understand the world. Eventually, the individual resovles the conflict and reaches a balance or equalibrium of thought
Equalilbration
This “judgment” region reins in
intense emotions but doesn’t
finish developing until at least
emerging adulthood.
Prefrontal cortex
These nerve fibers connect the brain’s
two hemispheres; they thicken in
adolescence to process information
more effectively.
Corpus callosum
Limbic system structure
especially involved in emotion.
Amygdala
A lower, subcortical system in the brain that is the seat of emotions and experience of rewards. This system is almost completely developed by early adolescence.
Limbic system
a recently developed field that focuses on
connections between development, socioemotional
factors, and neuroscience.
Developmental social neuroscience
the main architect of the field of
cognitive development, at age 27
Jean Piaget,
Infants gain knowledge of the world from the physical actions they perform on it. Infants coordinate sensory experiences with these physical actions. An infant progresses from reflexive, instinctual action at birth to the beginning of symbolic thought toward the end of the stage. Birth to 2 Years of Age
Sensorimotor Stage
PIAGET’S FOUR STAGES OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
The child begins to use mental representations to understand the world. Symbolic thinking, reflected in the use of words and images, is used in this mental representation, which goes beyond the connection of sensory information with physical action. However, there are some constraints on the child’s thinking at this stage, such as egocentrism and centration. 2 to 7 Years of Age
Preoperational Stage
PIAGET’S FOUR STAGES OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
The child can now reason logically about concrete events, understands the concept of conservation, organizes objects into hierarchical classes (classification), and places objects in ordered series (seriation). 7 to 11 Years of Age
Concrete Operational Stage
PIAGET’S FOUR STAGES OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
The adolescent reasons in more abstract, idealistic, and logical (hypothetical-deductive) ways. 11 Years of Age Through Adulthood
Formal Operational Stage
PIAGET’S FOUR STAGES OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Piaget’s
term for adolescents’ ability, in the formal
operational stage, to develop hypotheses, or
best guesses, about ways to solve problems;
they then systematically deduce, or conclude,
the best path to follow in solving the problem.
hypothetical-deductive reasoning
Theorists who argue that
Piaget got some things right but that his
theory needs considerable revision. In their
revision, they give more emphasis to
information processing that involves attention,
memory, and strategies; they also seek to
provide more precise explanations of
cognitive changes.
neo-Piagetians
Thought that is reflective,
relativistic, and contextual; provisional; realistic;
and open to emotions and subjective
postformal thought
Expert knowledge about the practical
aspects of life that permits excellent judgment
about important matters
wisdom
Upper limit
Level of additional responsibility
child can accept with assistance
of an able instructor
Lower limit
Level of problem solving
reached on these tasks by
child working alone
Zone of proximal
development (ZPD)
Vygotsky’s concept that refers to the range of
tasks that are too difficult for an individual to
master alone, but that can be mastered with
the guidance or assistance of adults or moreskilled
peers.
zone of proximal development (ZPD)
Approach that
emphasizes the social contexts of learning
and the construction of knowledge through
social interaction.
social constructivist approach
Concentration and focusing of
mental resources.
.
attention
Focusing on a specific
aspect of experience that is relevant while
ignoring others that are irrelevant.
selective attention
Concentrating on more than one activity at the same time. sustained attention The ability to maintain attention to a selected stimulus for a prolonged period of time.
divided attention
Type of attention that
involves planning actions, allocating attention
to goals, detecting and compensating for
errors, monitoring progress on tasks, and
dealing with novel or difficult circumstances
executive attention
The retention of information over time.
memory
working memory is like a mental workbench where a great deal of information
processing is carried out. Working memory consists of three main
components: the phonological loop and visuospatial working memory
serve as assistants, helping the central executive do its work. Input from
sensory memory goes to the phonological loop, where information about
speech is stored and rehearsal takes place, and to visuospatial working
memory, where visual and spatial information, including imagery, is
stored. Working memory is a limited-capacity system, and information
is stored there for only a brief time. Working memory interacts with
long-term memory, using information from long-term memory in its work
and transmitting information to long-term memory for longer storage
Baddeley’s working memory model,
An umbrella-like concept
that involves higher-order, complex cognitive
processes that include exercising cognitive
control, making decisions, reasoning, thinking
critically, thinking creatively, and metacognition.
executive function
The capacity to control
attention, reduce interfering thoughts, and be cognitively flexible.
cognitive control
States that decision making is influenced by
two systems—“verbatim” analytical thinking
(literal and precise) and gist-based intuition
(simple, bottom-line meaning), which operate
in parallel; in this model, it is the gist-based
system that benefits adolescents’ decision
making most.
fuzzy-trace theory dual-process model
Thinking reflectively and
productively and evaluating the evidence.
critical thinking
The ability to think in novel and
unusual ways and discover unique solutions
to problems.
creativity
A pattern of thinking in
which individuals produce one correct answer;
characteristic of the items on conventional
intelligence tests.
convergent thinking
A pattern of thinking in
which individuals produce many answers to
the same question; more characteristic of
creativity than convergent thinking.
divergent thinking
Cognition about cognition, or
“knowing about knowing.”
metacognition
constructed the first intelligence test after being
asked to create a measure to determine which children
would benefit from instruction in France’s schools.
Alfred Binet
created the concept of intelligence quotient (IQ),
William Stern
A view that
emphasizes the importance of individual
differences in intelligence; many advocates of
this view also argue that intelligence should
be assessed with intelligence tests.
psychometric/intelligence view
The ability to solve problems
and to adapt to and learn from everyday
experiences; not everyone agrees on what
constitutes intelligence.
intelligence
An individual’s level of
mental development relative to others; a
concept developed by Binet.
mental age (MA)
A person’s tested
mental age divided by chronological age,
multiplied by 100.
intelligent quotient (IQ)
A symmetrical distribution
of values or scores, with a majority of scores
falling in the middle of the possible range of
scores and few scores appearing toward the
extremes of the range.
normal distribution
who developed the
triarchic theory of intelligence.
Robert J. Sternberg,
Sternberg’s
view that intelligence comes in three main
forms: analytical, creative, and practical.
triarchic theory of intelligence
_________ suggests
there are eight types of intelligence, or “frames of mind.”
Howard Gardner
Verbal. The ability to think in words and use language to express meaning (occupations:
authors, journalists, speakers)
· Mathematical. The ability to carry out mathematical operations (occupations: scientists,
engineers, accountants)
· Spatial. The ability to think three-dimensionally (occupations: architects, artists,
sailors)
· Bodily-kinesthetic. The ability to manipulate objects and be physically adept (occupations:
surgeons, craftspeople, dancers, athletes)
· Musical. A sensitivity to pitch, melody, rhythm, and tone (occupations: composers,
musicians).
· Interpersonal. The ability to understand and effectively interact with others (occupations:
successful teachers, mental health professionals)
· Intrapersonal. The ability to understand oneself (occupations: theologians, psychologists)
· Naturalist: The ability to observe patterns in nature and understand natural and
human-made systems (occupations: farmers, botanists, ecologists, landscapers)
Gardner’s Eight Frames of Mind
The ability to
perceive and express emotion accurately
and adaptively, to understand emotion and
emotional knowledge, to use feelings to
facilitate thought, and to manage emotions in oneself and others.
emotional intelligence: Daniel Goleman
The way individuals
conceptualize and reason about their social
worlds—the people they watch and interact
with, their relationships with those people, the
groups they participate in, and the way they
reason about themselves and others.
social cognition
The heightened selfconsciousness
of adolescents, which is
reflected in their belief that others are as
interested in them as they themselves are,
and in their sense of personal uniqueness and invulnerability.
adolescent egocentrism
