Week 1: Cognitive development Flashcards
How many neurons present at birth?
100 billion
What does each neuron connect to?
Each neuron can connect to thousands of tothers
How many synapses in human brain?
1 trillion
What happens to brain size during third trimester to 2nd year
Brain doubles in size
What happens to neuronal connectivity during childhood?
40% incerase in neuronal connectivity followed by “pruning”
What is learning?
patterns of perception, thinking and behaviours laid down in wiring of the brain
What is a critical period of brain development?
A period when environmental stimulation causes active rewiring/ reshaping of particular areas of the brain
Describe the events of one of these critical periods
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
What occurs if there is no stimulation during a critical period?
What is particularly relevant here?
No proper brain development occurs
Particularly relevant is the development of the “social” brain in humans -> empathy/ regulate emotion/ delay gratification
How does a childs brain compare to adult?
Childrens brains are more plastic than adults
Describe the developmental process
1) passive reception
2) perception
2) conception
What are three theories of children’s development (thinkng)?
Piaget
Vygotsky
Theory of mind
Describe piaget’s theory of human cognitive development
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.
What is a schema?
A schema is a “cohesive, repeatable action sequence possing component actions that are tightly interconnefcted and governed by a core meaning.”
In piagets theory how does a child build up knowledge?
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
What are the stages of piagets cognitive development theory?
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
Describe sensorimotor phase
Infant looks for an object after it is hidden = object permanence
Sensorimotor phase ends with object permanence
Describe preoperational stage
Child is egocentric, sees the world from own perspective, language development rapidly progresses, use of symbols, does not yet understand conservation of number/ volume
Describe concrete operations stage
Onset of logical thinking, children now understand conservation of no/ volume
Describe formal operations
Onset of abstract, systematic thinking, ability to manipulate different aspects of a problem to come to imaginative solutions
Describe vygotsky’s theory of social and cognitive/ cultural development
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
Describe the theory of mind theory
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
Social and emotional development: What is the critical period for emotional development
first 1000 days (conception to 2 yrs)
What happens to brain during critical period
Doubles in size, much of this growth is the right side of the brain
When do unconscious networks of feeling/ behaving set up?
They set up very very early in life
Describe self regulation in babies
Babies cannot self regulate -> they require other humans to help early brain development
What happens when a baby feels joy?
Dopamine is released, stimulates neuronal connectivity
What happens when a baby is distressed?
Cortisol is released, impedes neuronal growth and connectivity
What does early positive experience result in?
1) Sense of oneself as lovable
2) Sense of others as loving
3) Sense of how to “do” loving relationships
What is normal human attachment?
What is it essential for the development of?
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
What is temperament and when do we want it?
Temperament (novelty seeking, reward dependence, harm avoidance, persistence)
Develops at birth
How do we develop a personality?
Life experience interacts with temperament to form personality
