evidence for language being inate
- developmental path of learning a language is universal (babies are born ready to learn a language)
- infants brain response to language is the same region as adults
evidence for language being learned
- there is a social component to language where there is no universal language, you learn the language around you
- even if the language region of the brain is damaged the babies are still able to learn how to speak
changes in neuroanatomy when learning a second language
- grey matter density (neurons and synapses), cortical thickness, and white matter integrity (myelination pathways)
- have greater grey matter density in the inferior parietal lobule (vocabulary knowledge) and the density is related to how long the person has been bilingual
advantages of bilingualism
- better cognitive control
- higher interconnectedness of brain regions
- greater inferior frontal gyrus cortical thickness
language expectant or dependent
both: brain is expecting to learn a language but the persons environment plays a role in the language acquisition
cognitive control
self-regulation: goal driven behavior in the face of distraction (challenge, thoughts, temptation, emotion)
- it occurs between age 4-12, prefrontal cortex is the last to develop
- children use the VLPFC while adults use the VRPFC more
- occurs because of individual differences and experiences and naturally occurring brain development exert influence over it
- teens are more susceptible to rewards (ventral striatum) therefore do better in cognitive control tests than adults with an incentive
social cognition
the encoding, storage, retrieval, and processing of information about conspecifics
fusiform gyrus
region of the brain that is activated by expertise
orbitofrontal cortex
role in emotion regulation with the amygdala
-responsible for determining if the stimuli is positive or negative
development of emotion recognition mechanisms
- anatomical emergence- components of the system are established and connections are made (infants prefer faces but do not discriminate facial expressions
- experience-expectant functional development- network expects faces, infants start to discriminate expressions, and experience refines the network thru stabilizing of synapse connections
- experience-dependent functional development- plasticity in response to the individual experiences and connections continue to become stronger
why do teens make more risky decisions around peers?
the reward system is hyperactivated in teens
allostasis
psychological and physiological adaptation in stressful situations
-helps maintain stability thru change
(good consquence of stress)
allostatic load
the physiological costs of chronological exposure to varying or heightened neural or neuroendocrine response that results from repeated or chronic stress
stress in the brain
- amygdala triggers stress response
- Hypothalamus releases CRH and AVP
- anterior pituitary releases ACTH
- adrenal gland releases cortisol
- once stressor has passed, the feedback loop (hippocampus) is supposed to turn off the response
how does cortisol affect infants in the womb?
too little or too much cortisol can change the development
- learning impairments (but seem to be onset after 21 months)
- increased risk of drug abuse
- increased depression and anxiety
- lower birth weight
- preterm delivery
lack of sleep causes..
- increases chances of obesity, depression, focus
- can mimic ADHD symptoms
process C (Circadian rhythm)
suprachiasmatic nucleus stops getting light input the body starts to wind down independent of the amount of sleep you get
process S (Homeostasis sleep/wake regulation)
sleep pressure builds up depending on how long you have been up
