Brain Development 1 Flashcards
Where and what does the medulla do
In brain stem
It controls basic autonomic functions such as breathing, heart rate, blood pressure and sleeping. (It develops early 6 weeks because it controls these vital functions)
Where and what is the thalamus
Hub of information in the centre of the brain that receives messages from the senses and translates them into appropriate behavioural and motor responses. All sensory information will pass through the thalamus on its way to the cortex where cognition takes place
Where and what is the cerebellum
cerebellum is located at the back of the brain behind the brain stem.
responsible for coordinating movement and balance and receives information from the cortex and other areas of the brain.
Once received, it will “fine-tune” this information into a motor activity such as walking.
What would happen if you damaged your cerebellum
Damage to the cerebellum can cause difficulty with muscle coordination, maintaining balance and fine motor skills i.e. difficulty typing or riding a bicycle.
What is nurture
Nurture: traits, characteristics and behaviours which result from environmental influences such as how we grow up, our friends or experiences
What is nature
Nature: traits, characteristics and behaviours where have been inherited
genetically and present from birth.
Name some example of behaviours and traits of nature
Genes like genetic disorders of some appearances like natural hair colour or eye colour
Name some example of behaviours and traits of nurture
Friendship
Family
Culture
Socialisation
Name some example of behaviours and traits of nature and nurture
IQ
Height
Weight
Hormones
Influences in the womb VOICE
Babies seem to recognise their mother’s voice immediately after birth. Babies also respond to particular passages in books. Babies who heard The Cat in the Hat read to them before birth, sucked more on a special device when this was also read to them after birth
(DeCasper & Spence)
Influences in the womb SMOKE
Mothers who smoke whilst pregnant risk their babies having small brains than
normal. Nicotine slows down brain growth.
Influences in the womb VIRUSES
Pregnant mothers should avoid contact with anyone who has the Rubella
virus (German Measles). Rubella can lead to brain damage, especially hearing loss
What is Schema
blocks of knowledge that develop in response to our experiences from the world.
What is assimilation
Assimilation– incorporating new information or more advance understanding into our schema
What is accommodation
Accommodation – when new information or experiences are so different from our current understanding new schema need to be created