Studied by 0 people
Looks like no one added any tags here yet for you.
metacognition
the process of thinking about thinking itself
adolescent egocentrism
extreme self-absorption, often a consequence of too much "thinking about thinking"
imaginary audience
the belief, often brought on by the heightened self-consciousness of early adolescence, that everyone is watching and evaluating one's behaviour
personal fable
an adolescent's belief that he or she is unique and therefore not subject to the rules that govern other people's behaviour
cognitive-developmental view
a perspective on development, based on the work of Piaget, that takes a qualitative, stage-theory approach
sensorimotor period
the first stage of cognitive development, according to Piaget, spanning the period roughly between birth and age 2
preoperational period
the second stage of cognitive development, according to Piaget, spanning roughly ages 2 to 5
concrete operations
the third stage of cognitive development, according to Piaget, spanning the period roughly between age 6 and early adolescence
formal operations
the fourth stage of cognitive development, according to Piaget, spanning the period from early adolescence through adulthood
information-processing perspective
a perspective on cognition that derives from the study of artificial intelligence and attempts to explain cognitive development in terms of the growth of specific components of the thinking process (such as memory)
selective attention
the process by which we focus on one stimulus while tuning out another
divided attention
the process of paying attention to two or more stimuli at the same time
working memory
that aspect of memory in which information is held for a short time while a problem is being solved
long-term memory
the ability to recall something from a long time ago
autobiographical memory
the recall of personally meaningful past events
reminiscence bump
the fact that experiences from adolescence are generally recalled more than experiences from other stages of life
functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
a technique used to produce images of the brain, often while the subject is performing some sort of mental task
diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)
a technique used to produce images of the brain that shows connections among different regions
brain structure
the physical form and organization of the brain
brain function
patterns of brain activity
neurons
nerve cells
synapse
the gap in space between neurons, across which neurotransmitters carry electrical impulses
neurotransmitters
specialized chemicals that carry electrical impulses between neurons
synaptic pruning
the process through which unnecessary connections between neurons are eliminated, improving the efficiency of information processing
myelination
the process through which brain circuits are insulated with myelin, which improves the efficiency of information processing
plasticity
the capacity of the brain to change in response to experience
developmental plasticity
extensive remodeling of the brain's circuitry in response to experiences during childhood and adolescence, while the brain is still maturing
adult plasticity
relatively minor changes in brain circuits as a result of experiences during adulthood, after the brain has matured
prefrontal cortex
the region of the brain most important for sophisticated thinking abilities, such as planning, thinking ahead, weighing risks and rewards, and controlling impulses
limbic system
an area of the brain that plays an important role in the processing of emotional experience, social information, and reward and punishment
response inhibition
the suppression of a behaviour that is inappropriate or no longer required
executive function
more advanced thinking abilities, enabled chiefly by the maturation of the prefrontal cortex, especially in early adolescence
functional connectivity
the extent to which multiple brain regions function at the same time, which improves during adolescence
dopamine
a neurotransmitter especially important in the brain circuits that regulate the experience of reward
serotonin
a neurotransmitter that is especially important for the experience of different moods
positive risk taking
risk taking that promotes healthy psychological development
zone of proximal development
in Vygotsky's theory, the level of challenge that is still within the individual's reach but that forces an individual to develop more advanced skills
scaffolding
structuring a learning situation so that it is just within the reach of the student
social cognition
the aspect of cognition that concerns thinking about other people, about interpersonal relations, and about social institutions
mentalizing
the ability to understand someone else's mental state
theory of mind
the ability to understand that others have beliefs, intentions, and knowledge that may be different from one's own
social conventions
the norms that govern everyday behaviour in social situations
behavioural decision theory
an approach to understanding adolescent risk taking, in which behaviours are seen as the outcome of systematic decision-making processes
sensation seeking
the pursuit of experiences that are novel or exciting
Home
Note
Flashcard