Development

Question 1

Function + Definition of Cortex

Outer Cover, Cognition

Answer 1

• The outer covering of the brain where mental processing takes place
  -Thinking in the frontal cortex
• Sensory processing in visual and auditory area
• Motor processing in motor area

Question 2

Function + Definition of Thalamus

Signals

Answer 2

• Acts as a hub for information for the brain recieving and sending signals
• Recieves sensory signals from retina in eye, sends signals onto visual area

Question 3

Function + Definition of Cerebellum

Coordination of movement

Answer 3

• ‘Little’ brain located near the top of the spinal cord
• Plays important role in coordination of movement eg your balance
• Coordinates sensory info with motor activity (sensorimotor)
• Last part of brain to reach maturity

Question 4

Function + Definition of Brain Stem

Breathing, Basic Functions

Answer 4

• Part of the brain that connects to the spinal cord
• Carries motor and sensory nerves between brain and rest of body via spinal cord
• Control autonomic functions; breathing, heart beat

Question 5

What is nature?

Answer 5

Refers to genetic influences and characteristics inherited from ancestors

Question 6

What is nurture

Answer 6

Refers to how you were raised, your experiences and environment

Question 7

AO1 of Piagets theory of Cognitive Development

Answer 7

• Piaget believed that children don’t simply know less, they think in a quite different way
• He suggested that young children are not able to think logically about the world, their brains are simply not mature enough to think in a logical way
• As a child gets older, their brain develops and different kinds of thinking are possible; being able to use numbers and thinking in abstract ways
• As they develop, they also develop schemas; mental representations of the world. They become more complex through accomodation and assimilation
• Assimilation; adding new info to an existing schema
• Accommodation: occurs when a new experience can be added to an existing schema to develop the schema

Question 8

AO3 of Piagets theory of Cognitive Development

Answer 8

• One strength of Piaget’s theory is that it has helped change classroom teaching for the better; led to teachers doing more activity-based learning. This has helped children learn in a more effective way
• One weakness of Piaget’s theory is that it involved middle class swiss children. He developed his theory from research studies