PSY 361 EXAM FOUR

ages 6 - 11

when is middle childhood

2 inches and 7.5 pounds every year

what is the growth rate during middle childhood

• genetic background

• race

• nutrition

• disease affect growth

what affects growth and development in middle childhood

each successive generation over the past 150 years is taller than the previous one

• due to improved health and nutrition

secular trend in physical growth

• cortical surface area was found to expand from age 3 onward, reaching a peak at 10 years of age for many areas of the brain - then declines slightly during adolescence

• cortical thickness was found to decrease steadily between 3 - 20 years of age in virtually every area of the brain

• each white matter fiber tract undergoes its own individual growth and pattern

changes in aspects of brain structure

large-scale functional neural networks

the brain is organized into

blood oxygen level dependent signal

fMRI scans detect __________ in the brain

resting state of fMRI

what provides insights of the brain

the normal maturation of the brain

some aspects of the experience of poverty leads to delays in

some of the negative effects of growing up poor

certain kinds of experiences can reverse….

• inattention

• hyper-impulsivity

attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder is made up of two dimensions

• cannot focus consistently

  • child may play video games for hours

  • difficult tasks increase problems

• has trouble managing simultaneous stimuli or switching from one task to another

• may focus on unimportant information

• easily distracted

• main problem is control and self-regulation rather than simply inattention

inattention

interrupting or intruding in conversations, games and other organized activities

• excessive locomotion, fidgeting or talking

• always on the run, restless

• fidgety

• can’t sit still

• accident-prone

• disorganized

• more apparent in structured situations

• unihibited

• acts without thinking

• interrupts other

• careless; irresponsible

hyperactivity - impulsivity

• dyslexia

• oppositional defiant disorder

• conduct disorder

• anxiety disorders

• depressive disorders

ADHA is co-morbid with other childhood disorders like

disorder characterized by inattention and hyperactivity - impulsivitiy

attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity

• predominantly inattentive (ADHD - 1)

• predominantly hyperactive-impulse (ADHD - HI)

• combined type (ADHD - C)

subtypes of ADHD

associated with reading

dyslexia

associated with math

dyscalculia

associated with writing

dysgraphia

• symptoms present in more than one environment

  • ex: school, home, other

• symptoms last for at least 6 months

• rating forms completed by parents and teachers

• impairments: social, academic, occupational functioning

diagnosis of ADHD

• clumsiness

• delays in milestones

• poor performance in sports

• complex movements and sequencing most affected

motor skills

may perform somewhat lower on intelligence tests, but a range is possible

• including gifted range

intelligence and academic achievement

failure is common

those with ADHD, academic _____

difficulties with processes needed for goal-directed behavior, planning, organizing and self-regulating

• working memory

• verbal self-regulation

• self-monitoring

• inhibition of behavior

• emotional regulation

• motor control

executive functions

• sleep problems are common

  • trouble with falling asleep, night awakening, involuntary movements

  • may be related to medications or anxiety

• high risk for accidents

  • bone fractures

  • accidental poisonings

  • automobile/driving accidents

health, sleep, accidents

• immature

• deficits in self-care, independence, ability to perform everyday skills

adaptive behavior

• frequently disliked; rejected by peers

  • those with ADHD - 1 neglected by peers

• teachers directive and controlling toward children with ADHD

• parents less rewarding, more negative and directive

• certain parents and family characteristics can make the situation worse

peer and teacher relationships

• social problems due to loud, disruptive, aggressive and impulsive behaviors

• aggressive, negative style of interaction

  • verbal and physical aggression towards others

• ADHD - C possible have stable, positive self-bias and be unaware of impact on others

social behavior and relationships

• ADHD runs in families

  • researchers targeting candidate genes like common variant of DRD4 dopamine receptor gene

• genetic and environmental risk factors combine to bring alterations in brain development associated with ADHD

genes and enviornment

• fetal alcohol exposure

• environmental lead exposure

• maternal smoking during pregnancy

environmental factors increasing risk of ADHD

• delays or deficits in development of the brain’s executive function system and combinations of several neuropsychological deficits

• certain brain areas (in prefrontal cortex) - smaller or less functional in children

• possible deficits:

  • executive function

  • delay aversion

  • state of dysregulation

  • emotional regulation

brain mechanisms and cognitive defects

low birth weight, hyperactivity; irritability

high stress equals

• medication

• psychotherapy

• behavior management

intervention of ADHD

• there is no cure for ADHD

  • medications to take: adderall, ritalin, concerta

• reduces hyperactivity and impulsivity

  • allows kid to focus on schoolwork and inte

medication

canhelp children minimize problem behavior and improve executive functioning

• psychotherapy and behavior management

• either with individual or family

psychotherapy

• highlights strengths

• promotes change through reinforcements

behavior management

• movement capacities

• brain maturation

• motivation

• opportunities to practice

dynamic systems theory emphasizes changes in

vigorous activity

what do adolescents need 60 minutes of

participation in organized sports

associated with positive outcomes is

physical activity has been on the decline

in recent years____

in middle childhood

when are children most active

• exercise deficit disorder

• pediatric dynapenia

• physical illiteracy

pediatric inactivity triad

characterized by levels of MVOA below the recommended 60 minutes per day

• MVPA builds cardiovascular fitness

exercise deficit disorder

condition in which a child has insufficient levels of muscular strength and power

• result in functional limitations that aren’t caused by neurological and muscular diseases

pediatric dynapenia

condition characterized by lack of confidence, competence and motivation to engage in physical activities with interest and enthusiasm

• gained through participating with family members, peers, coaches and other youth fitness specialists in activities

physical illiteracy

• having fun

• learning new skills

• testing their abilities

• excitement

• personal accomplishment

children’s motives and goals

• 10 year rule

• power law of practice

• required for certain sports

arguments for specialization

takes about 10 years of intense and systematic practice to reach the expert level in any domain

10 year rule

after the onset of deliberate practice, progress occurs at a rapid rate, but the rate of learning diminishes over time

• gap between an expert and a very good player isn’t huge, but based on how many hours you practice

power law of practice

• more consistent performance

• fewer injuries

• longer-standing interest

arguments for diversification

about 9 - 11 per night

how much sleep do middle childhood children need

• poor cognition

• behavioral difficulties

effects of poor quality sleep

• intuitive biology

• cultural learning

• science education

children use three primary sources of knowledge about illness

• children don’t understand that illness is contagious until 10 years old

• they don’t understand that germs are invisible, grow inside food and are transmitted through air until 10

intuitive biology

• myth that wearing warm clothes in cold weather will help prevent a cold

• viruses and illnesses thrive in cold weather

• children endorse germs as the primary cause of illness but add nonscientific causes increasingly between middle childhood and adolescence

cultural learning

• children don’t learn about illness until middle school and adolescence

• don’t understand how bacteria grows in food that is left out, how a virus transmits colds and flues and how the immune system fights infections until about 10 - 14

science education

unintentional injuries

what is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 - 4 and individuals ages 5 - 14

motor vechicle traffic accidents

• where the child is a passenger

what is the most frequent source of fatalities in children 1 - 14

• safety equipment

• practice riding bicycles with an adult

what is essential in preventing injuries and fatalities for children

• frequent dining on fast food

  • higher in fat a carbs

• provides convenience for busy families

what leads to obesity in children

• cannot think abstractly and hypothetically

• thinking tied to concrete, tangible objects

limits of concrete operational stage

• can perform “operations” on concrete objects

• understands conservation - realizing that changes in chape or appearance can be reversed

• less egocentric

• can think logically about concrete objects and events

abilities of concrete operational stage

systematic mental rules or procedures that are reversible

concrete operations

• seriation

• transitivity/transitive interference

advancements in middle school period

taking objects and putting them together in a proper sequences

• child putting cups in each other in the correct order

seriation

if something relates to a second thing, and that second thing relates to a third, then the first thing relates to the third too

• if A is bigger than B, B is bigger than C then A is bigger than C

transitivity

brain figures that out on its own, even if no one directly tells you

• mia is taller than jay, jay is taller than leo, so you can infer that you’re taller than leo

transitive interference

ability to think about ideas, meanings or concepts that aren’t physical or right in front of you

• “they gray sky feels kind of sad”

abstract thinking

• using hand on activities (experiments and visuals)

• letting students organize and classify information

• encouraging step - by - step problem solving

• slowly introduce abstract ideas with support

applications in education

egocentric frame of reference

piaget proposed an

think about space from their point of view only

egocentric frame of reference

allocentric frame of reference

children overcome egocentricism and develop an

children begin to understand space independently of themselves

allocentric frame of reference

• encoding

• develop route knowledge

• transition to allocentric frames

learn to navigate spaces through a cognitive map

taking in information about the environment

• ex: landmarks, streets, buildings

encoding

remembering specific paths

• ex: like how to get home from school

develop route knowledge

understanding the overall layout, not just one path

transition to allocentric thinking

• egocentric

• allocentric

they learn when to use each one

instead of fully switching, kids get better at using

• math (geometry, patterns)

• reading (understanding structure, direction)

• science (visualizing systems, diagrams)

strong spatial skills are linked to better school performance overall

spatial skills help with

development can be gradual, based on improving memory, experience and practice - not sudden change

criticism about how children develop thinking skills in Piaget’s theory

children show advanced thinking earlier if tasks are made easier or clearer

how do younger children challenge Piaget’s ideas

kids perform better when they are familiar with the materials of situations, suggesting ability depends on experience

how does familiarity affect children’s performance

different tasks don’t always reflect a single shift in thinking - skills may develop separately

what is a criticism about Piaget’s idea of one big cognitive change

cognitive development can vary across cultures, meaning it’s not the same for all children everywhere

how does culture challenge piaget’s theory

to build information-processing skills

everyday situations sometimes present opportunities or children

ability to stay focused on one task for a long period

• person being able to focus for an hour taking a test

sustained attention

ability to focus on important information and ignore distractions

• student listens to the teacher while other classmates are talking around them

selective attention

ability to control attention, switch tasks, plan and resist distractions

• child’s ability to switch from each subject in school

executive control

processing speed

what increases rapidly until mid-adolesce

contributes to advances in complex thinking

why is processing speed important

workspace within the mind that is used to carry out operations, store information, and make decisions on a moment - by moment basis

working memory

shows working memory as a limited capacity workspace in which we keep information temporarily active until it can be used for thinking and solving problems

baddeley’s influential model

• central executive

• visuospatial sketchpad

• phonological loop

• episodic buffer

four components of working memory

directs the child where to store information and what to do with it

• directs the movement of information out of long - term memory

central executive

used to integrate information from the visuospatial and phonological storage systems

episodic buffer

limited capacity working memory storage for visual and spatial information

• holds and manipulated 5/6 pieces of visual or spatial information

visuospatial sketchpad

limited capacity working memory storage system for articulated sounds

phonological loop

knowledge of words and concepts, usually visualized as a network with nodes and links between nodes

semantic memory

process by which new information is securely stored in memory

consolidation

memory strategy in which items are repeated singularly or in groups

• repeating a phone number multiple times before getting to write down

rehearsal