Related Concept Videos
01:01Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity reflects the brain's remarkable capacity to adapt and evolve, responding dynamically to learning, experiences, or injury by reorganizing its neural circuitry. This reorganization involves creating new neural connections and refining old ones through a series of biological processes that contribute to the brain's lifelong development and adaptability.
01:27Language and Cognition
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
01:17Cognitivism
Cognitive psychology emerged as a significant field in the mid-20th century. It focused on understanding humans' internal mental processes. This approach emphasizes how people perceive, remember, think, and solve problems—elements critical to human cognition.
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process information is...
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process information is...
01:30Information Processing Approach
The information-processing theory of cognitive development centers on fundamental mental processes, including attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. Researchers in this field examine how cognitive abilities, such as working memory, evolve and influence children's overall development. Studies indicate that children with stronger working memory tend to excel in reading comprehension, math, and problem-solving compared to peers with less efficient memory skills. Low working memory is also...
01:18Cognitive Development During Adolescence
During adolescence, individuals experience significant cognitive development that enhances their understanding of others' emotions and thoughts, known as cognitive empathy. This period is marked by an increased ability to adapt to others' perspectives and a more nuanced understanding of others' mental states, a skill that is foundational for social problem-solving and conflict avoidance. The development of cognitive empathy relies heavily on the theory of mind — the recognition that people have...
01:30Cognitive Development During Adulthood
Cognitive development continues throughout adulthood, undergoing significant shifts across early, middle, and late stages. Individual transition occurs from adolescent idealism to pragmatic and adaptable thinking in early adulthood. During this period, individuals learn to integrate personal beliefs with the recognition that other perspectives are equally valid. Exposure to the complexities of modern society, diverse experiences, and higher education contribute to this adaptive thought process,...
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Will you read how I will read? Naturalistic fMRI predictors of emergent reading.
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Dynamic links between emerging cognitive skills and brain processes.
Dennis L Molfese1, Victoria J Molfese, Jennifer Beswick
1Birth Defects Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA. dlmolfese@mac.com
Developmental Neuropsychology
|November 14, 2008
Summary
Advanced pre-reading skills in preschoolers correlate with earlier neural discrimination in shape matching tasks. Poorer-performing children show more distributed brain activity, supporting theories of cognitive-neurodevelopment.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Understanding cognitive-neurodevelopment requires examining how mastering skills in one domain influences others.
- Investigating the neural underpinnings of skill acquisition is crucial for developmental theories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if advanced cognitive skills in one area impact neural processing of unrelated skills.
- To explore the relationship between pre-reading abilities and neural responses in a geometric shape task.
Main Methods:
- Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were used in 16 preschoolers (46-60 months).
- Children completed a pre-reading screening test and a shape matching task with ERP recording.
- High-density EEG and modeled MRI data analyzed neural responses to matched/mismatched shapes.
Main Results:
- Preschoolers with higher pre-reading skills showed earlier neural discrimination between shapes.
- This earlier discrimination was localized to occipital sites in advanced readers, unlike poorer readers.
- Poorer-performing children exhibited more distributed neural processing across frontal, parietal, and occipital sites.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive skills in one domain (pre-reading) influence neural processing in another (spatial reasoning).
- Poorer cognitive performance is associated with more temporally and spatially distributed brain activity.
- Findings support a theory of neural-cognitive development where processing becomes more specialized with skill mastery.