Dev Psych Unit 1

Cell Body

contains basic biological material; keeps neuron functioning

Dendrites

neural fibers that receive input from other cells and conduct it toward cell body as electrical impulses

Axon

neural fibers that conduct electrical signals away from the cell body to connections with other neurons

Synapses

junctions between the axon terminal of one neuron and the dendritic branches of another neuron

Glial Cells

Support, connect, and protect neurons

Occipital Lobe

lobe which processes visual information, located in the back of the brain

Temporal Lobe

lobe associated with memory, emotions, auditory processing, located at the bottom of the brain

Parietal Lobe

lobe responsible for spatial processing, located near the top of the back

Frontal Lobe

lobe responsible for organizing, planning ahead

Cerebral Laterization

Brain is symmetrical, different sides have different functions

Are people “left” or “right” brained?

no this concept is an oversimplification

White matter

area where information is transmitted across

myelin

fatty sheath which coats axons, increases processing ability within the brain

Neurogenesis

creation of new neurons through cell division

Spines

formations on dendrite of neurons that increase capacity of dendrites to form connections with more neurons

Continuous Development

Changes occur gradually in small increments, skill by skill and task by task

Discontinuous Development

Changes occurs in distinct stages with qualitative differences

Synaptogenesis

process by which neurons form synapses with other neurons

Synapse Elimination

process where synapses that are rarely used are eliminated

Is Synapse Elimination Harmful?

no, it’s a normal brain process present throughout life

EEG

Cap that picks up activity in regions of the brain

pros of EEG

enhanced mobility, easier to conduct tasks

cons of EEG

less specific than other methods

fMRI

magnet capsule provides view of structures or functions of the brain

pros of MRI

can see function and structure, more detail than other methods

cons of MRI

loud, limiting in mobility

plasticity

capacity of brain to be modeled or changed by experiences

experience-expectant plasticity

describes the role of general human experience in shaping brain development

experience-dependent plasticity

occurs when neural connections are created and reorganized throughout life as a result of experiences, how does brain adapt

semimotor stage

from infancy to age 2. characterized by reflexes, bringing objects to the mouth, at the end can make intentional movements

pre operational

ages 2-7, uses language and mental imagery but is limited

concrete operational

ages 7-12, kids begin to think logically about the features of the world, considering multiple dimensions at once

formal operational

ages 12+, can think abstractly and reason hypothetically

Piaget’s theory

children at different age think differently, cognitive development involves a sequence of four stages

constructivist approach to cognitive development

children actively learn on their own, construct knowledge for themselves in response to their experiences

Assimilation

process by which a child incorporates incoming information into concepts they already know (seeing zebra for the first time and believing it is a horse)

Accommodation

process by which people improve their understanding by new experiences (not a cockroach, it’s baby Jesus)

Equilibration

process by which children balance assimilation and accommodation to create stable understanding (identify and understand differences between zebra and horse)

discontinuity

Piaget’s belief that children’s understanding changes throughout the stages

object permanence

knowledge that objects still exist even when they are not visible

what age did Piaget say object permanence becomes present in humans?

8 months

A not B error

tendency to reach for a hidden object where it was last found rather than in the new location where it was last hidden

at what age can kids pass A not B test consistently?

12+ months

egocentrism

kids have difficulty taking other’s perspective

conservation

changing the appearance of objects does not change the properties (ie quantity)

pre operational limitations

egocentrism and conservation

concrete operational limitations

systematic and hypothetical thinking

did Piaget believe everyone could reach concrete operational?

not necessarily, he believed some adults may never

Piaget’s strengths

emphasis on child centered learning, helped determine what info should be taught

Piaget’s weaknesses

underestimated young children, theory is vague on the mechanisms, children’s thinking is less consistent than it’s portrayed

Information Processing Theories

Theories that focus on the structure of cognitive systems and the mental activities used to deploy attention and memory to solve problems

how does information processing theories view children’s nature?

children have a limited capacity processing system that improves over time

what are the main focuses of information processing theories?

development of memory and development of problem solving

Working Memory

actively attending to, gathering, maintaining, storing and processing information

Limitations of working memory

has limited capacity in amount of info that can be stored and length of time info can be retained

Long Term Memory

knowledge people accumulate over their lifetime (think Jeopardy)

Executive Functioning

controls of cognition especially in the prefrontal cortex

3 components of executive functioning

1. inhibition

2. enhancing working memory

3. being cognitively flexible

Genotype

Inherited genetic material

Phenotype

observed expression of genetic material (hair color)

Stanford Marshmallow Experiment

kids 3-5. tested ability to wait to obtain something one wants

children who waited during marshmallow test

had better outcomes, higher SATs and described as more competent

Limitations of Marshmallow study

not generalizable (low external validity) and had replication issues

Environment

everything non genetic

Chromosones

molecules of dna that transmit genetic information

DNA

Molecules that carry all biochemical instructions involved in forming an organism and its function

Gene

sections of chromosones that are basic unit of heredity in all beings

Sociocultural Theories

Lev Vygotsky

believed that children were social learners connected to others who help them gain skills and understanding. Emphasized guided participation

social scaffolding

process through which those with greater expertise organize the physical and social environment to help children learn

zone of proximal development

gap between what a learner can do independently and what they can achieve with active support from a more knowledgeable person

Vygotsky’s view of children’s nature

children teach one another skills they have learned. This is consistent across all cultures but the content may be different

core belief of socio-cultural theories

change occurs through interaction

intersubjectivity

mutual understanding that people share during communication

joint attention

process in which social partners focus on the same external object

dynamic systems theory

theories that focus on how change occurs over varying time periods in complex systems

core belief of dynamic systems theory

development as constant change

connections between dynamic systems with piaget and socio cultural

believe in the importance of interconnection but give infants and toddlers more credit than piaget

sensation

processing of basic information from the external world via receptors in the sense organs and brain

perception

process of organizing and interpreting sensory information about the objects, events and spatial layout in the world around us

preferential learning technique

method for studying visual attention in infants. Show infants 2 images simultaneously and see which the infant prefers

vision

improves extremely rapidly and allows the study of infant development before language acquisition

visually acuity

sharpness of visual discrimination

contrast sensitivity

ability to detect differences in light and dark areas in a visual pattern

when does color perception appear?

at 2 months of age

mutation

change in a particular section of dna, can be spontaneous or environmental

crossing over

process where sections of dna switch from one chromosome to another

endophenotypes

intermediate phenotypes including brain and nervous system we can’t see with the naked eye but could affect behavior. Mediate path between genes and behavior

regulator genes

genes that control activity of other genes (turning them off and on, helps to specialize genetic expression, can be affected by terratogens

terratogens

anything ingested during pregnancy which can cause birth defects, can affect regulator genes

alleles

different versions of a gene located on a chromosome

polygenetic inheritance

many genes contribute to trait being expressed

hearing

most advanced newborn sense

auditory localization

perception of the location in a space of a sound source

intermodal perception

combining information from two or more sensory systems

what instances of multiple senses can infants connect between?

• visual and auditory stimuli

• speech sounds and facial movements

• what they have seen and felt

when do taste and smell begin to develop?

in the womb

what types of flavors are babies naturally drawn to?

sweet flavors

reflexes

innate fixed patterns of action that occur in response to particular stimulation

rooting reflex

turning of the head and opening the mouth in direction of a touch