Week 1: Cognitive development

Question 1

How many neurons present at birth?

Answer 1

100 billion

Question 2

What does each neuron connect to?

Answer 2

Each neuron can connect to thousands of tothers

Question 3

How many synapses in human brain?

Answer 3

1 trillion

Question 4

What happens to brain size during third trimester to 2nd year

Answer 4

Brain doubles in size

Question 5

What happens to neuronal connectivity during childhood?

Answer 5

40% incerase in neuronal connectivity followed by “pruning”

Question 6

What is learning?

Answer 6

patterns of perception, thinking and behaviours laid down in wiring of the brain

Question 7

What is a critical period of brain development?

Answer 7

A period when environmental stimulation causes active rewiring/ reshaping of particular areas of the brain

Question 8

Describe the events of one of these critical periods

Answer 8

1) Particular experience causes particular constellation of neural firing pattern
2) experience repeats, firing pattern repeats
3) Neurochemicals “finalise” pattern by switching off ability to rewire/ refire in alternate patterns
4) end of critical period

Question 9

What occurs if there is no stimulation during a critical period?
What is particularly relevant here?

Answer 9

No proper brain development occurs

Particularly relevant is the development of the “social” brain in humans -> empathy/ regulate emotion/ delay gratification

Question 10

How does a childs brain compare to adult?

Answer 10

Childrens brains are more plastic than adults

Question 11

Describe the developmental process

Answer 11

1) passive reception
2) perception
2) conception

Question 12

What are three theories of children’s development (thinkng)?

Answer 12

Piaget
Vygotsky
Theory of mind

Question 13

Describe piaget’s theory of human cognitive development

Answer 13

1) Child is born with small number of innate “schemas” e.g. innate/simple suckling reflex and learned/complex e.g. order food at restaurant
2) due to biological maturation and environmental stimulation child builds more and more schemas of increasing complexity.

Question 14

What is a schema?

Answer 14

A schema is a “cohesive, repeatable action sequence possing component actions that are tightly interconnefcted and governed by a core meaning.”

Question 15

In piagets theory how does a child build up knowledge?

Answer 15

2 key processes:

1) Assimilation -> existing schema works well for new situation, knowledge attached to new situation is assimilated into existing schema
2) Accommodation -> no existing schema fits new situation, schema must be altered to accommodate new information

Question 16

What are the stages of piagets cognitive development theory?

Answer 16

Every child progresses through series of stages:

1) sensorimotor 0-2 yrs Develop object permanence
2) Pre operational 2-7 Egocentric
3) concrete operations 7-11 yrs conservation of number
4) Formal operations 11 yrs plus, abstract thinking

Question 17

Describe sensorimotor phase

Answer 17

Infant looks for an object after it is hidden = object permanence
Sensorimotor phase ends with object permanence

Question 18

Describe preoperational stage

Answer 18

Child is egocentric, sees the world from own perspective, language development rapidly progresses, use of symbols, does not yet understand conservation of number/ volume

Question 19

Describe concrete operations stage

Answer 19

Onset of logical thinking, children now understand conservation of no/ volume

Question 20

Describe formal operations

Answer 20

Onset of abstract, systematic thinking, ability to manipulate different aspects of a problem to come to imaginative solutions

Question 21

Describe vygotsky’s theory of social and cognitive/ cultural development

Answer 21

1) learning does not follow a universal process in all cultures
2) learning happens socially, can be rapidly increased through help from others
3) language is important in learning: self task becomes private (inner) talk, becomes thinking

Question 22

Describe the theory of mind theory

Answer 22

Children do not automatically know that others do not know same things they know, develops overtime
Not expected in children under 3, but develops aged 4-5
developing this skill helps children to understand and anticipate actions of others, understand feelings or others, empathise
Being bilingual may hasten development of empathy
Deficits in these skills in people with: Autism/ Schizophrenia/ Attention defecit disorder

Question 23

Social and emotional development: What is the critical period for emotional development

Answer 23

first 1000 days (conception to 2 yrs)

Question 24

What happens to brain during critical period

Answer 24

Doubles in size, much of this growth is the right side of the brain

Question 25

When do unconscious networks of feeling/ behaving set up?

Answer 25

They set up very very early in life

Question 26

Describe self regulation in babies

Answer 26

Babies cannot self regulate -> they require other humans to help early brain development

Question 27

What happens when a baby feels joy?

Answer 27

Dopamine is released, stimulates neuronal connectivity

Question 28

What happens when a baby is distressed?

Answer 28

Cortisol is released, impedes neuronal growth and connectivity

Question 29

What does early positive experience result in?

Answer 29

1) Sense of oneself as lovable
2) Sense of others as loving
3) Sense of how to “do” loving relationships

Question 30

What is normal human attachment?

What is it essential for the development of?

Answer 30

Normal human attachment: Innate, biologically driven need to seek attachemnt with other human beings
Essential for: 1) empathy 2) social relational skills 3) affect regulation 4) control of aggression and impulsivity

Question 31

What is temperament and when do we want it?

Answer 31

Temperament (novelty seeking, reward dependence, harm avoidance, persistence)
Develops at birth

Question 32

How do we develop a personality?

Answer 32

Life experience interacts with temperament to form personality