Chapter 3: Cognitive Development Flashcards
What are the FRONTAL LOBES?
part of the brain immediately behind the forehead; involved in higher brain functions like planning ahead and analyzing complex problems
What is SYNAPTIC PRUNING?
the overproduction of synapses is reduced, making brain functioning faster and more efficient, but less flexible
What is MYELINATION?
process by which myelin, a blanket of fat wrapped around the main part of the neuron, grows
What is EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING?
the ability to solve cognitive problems without becoming distracted and to adjust one’s strategy as the nature of a problem changes
What is the CEREBELLUM?
the lower part of the brain, beneath the cortex;
initially thought to only be involved with movement;
has been found to be important for math, music, decision-making, social skills, humor
What is GREY MATTER?
the outermost layer of the brain, composed mainly of neurons and unmyelinated axons
What is WHITE MATTER?
the part of the brain that consists of myelinated axons
What is the PREFRONTAL CORTEX?
the foremost part of the frontal lobe, involved in functions like planning and reasoning; also includes parts of the lower brain involved in emotions and motivation
new connections here in adolescence indicate growing emotional self-control
What is NEURODEVELOPMENTAL PLASTICITY?
the interaction bw the maturation of the brain and the environment
What are ASYNCHRONIES in the context of cognitive development?
the fact that not all parts of the brain mature at the same time; in adolescents, emotion-focused capacities of the brain have developed before the congitive and executive-focused capacities»_space; adolescents have difficulty integrating emotion and cognition effectively
Describe Paiget’s COGNITIVE STAGE MODEL.
sveral periods in which abilities are organized in a coherent, interrelated way
What is a MENTAL STRUCTURE in the context of Piaget’s development theory?
the organization of cognitive abilities into a single pattern, such that thinking in all aspects of life is a reflection of that structure
Describe the COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACH.
approach to understanding cognition that emphasizes changes that take place at adifferent ages
What is MATURATION?
development due to genetically-based processes with limited influence from the environment «_space;accoding to Piaget, the driving force behind development from one stage to the next
What are SCHEMAS?
structures for organizing and interpreting information
What is ASSIMILATION?
when new information is altered to fit an existing scheme in a person’s mind
What is ACCOMODATION?
changing the scheme to adapt to the new information
Describe Piaget’s FORMAL OPERATIONS stage.
the stage of adolescence, from age 11-15/20; people learn to think systematically about possibilities and hypotheses - capacity to reason is increased
What is HYPOTHETICAL-DEDUCTIVE REASONING?
Piaget’s term for the process by which the formal operational thinker systematically tests possible solutions to a problem and arrives at an answer that can be defended and explained
What is ABSTRACT THINKING?
thinking in terms of symbols, ideas, and concepts
What is METACOGNITION?
the capacity to “think about thinking” that allows adolescents and adults to reason about their thought processes and monitor them
What is COMPLEX THINKING?
thinking that takes into account multiple connections and interpretations, such as the use of metaphor, satire, and sarcasm
In the context of research, what are INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES?
approach to research that focuses on how individuals differ within a group, such as performance on IQ tests
What is POSTFORMAL THINKING?
type of thinking beyond formal operations, involving greater awareness of the complexity of real life situations