Critical Thinking in Psychology: Children's Cognitive Development

Flashcards covering critical thinking in psychology, focusing on cognitive development across the lifespan, particularly in children, based on lecture notes from Professor Neal Dykmans.

Prefrontal Cortex

The rational part of the brain used by adults for thinking.

Amygdala

The emotional part of the brain used by younger children to process information.

Neural Pruning

A 'use it or lose it' system where neural connections develop with experience and die off without it.

Preferential Looking

A method to test an infant's cognition by observing their tendency to look at new or more interesting things.

Jean Piaget

A Swiss psychologist interested in the nature of knowledge and intelligence.

Sensorimotor Stage

Stage from birth to 2 years where infants learn through senses and actions, developing object permanence .

Preoperational Stage

Stage from 2 to 7 years where children think symbolically but lack concrete logic and struggle with conservation.

Concrete Operational Stage

Stage from 7 to 11 years when children start to think logically about concrete events and understand conservation.

Formal Operational Stage

Stage from 12 to 17 years that is marked by abstract and hypothetical thinking.

Conservation

The understanding that the physical characteristics of objects remain the same, even when the outward appearance changes.