Biological I
Includes the brain and spinal cord
Central Nervous System
A neuron fibre that is connected to the cell body of the neuron; receives message from other neurons
Dendrites
The ability of the brain’s neural structure or function to be changed by experience throughout the lifespan.
Plasticity
A strong affectional tie that binds a child to a caregiver; characterised by affection and a desire to maintain proximity.
Attachment
Predicts the nature of the effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable, and predicts in which direction the change will take place.
Directional Hypothesis
Contains the Primary Auditory Cortex and Wernicke’s Area, and is also involved in memory, particularly long-term memory as well as facial recognition.
Temporal Lobe
Microscopic gap between neurons which allow communication to take place.
Synapse
The growth and maturation of thinking processes of all kinds, including perceiving, remembering, concept formation, problem-solving, imagining, and reasoning
Cognitive Development
The main achievement during this stage is Object Permanence- knowing that an object still exists, even if it is hidden.
Sensorimotor
A participant’s involvement in and results from an experiment cannot be disclosed to anyone unless written consent has been obtained
Confidentiality
Maintains homeostasis (a constant internal body environment) and counterbalances the activities of the sympathetic nervous system. Inhibits the production of adrenaline, and decreases heart rate, respiration and blood pressure. Increases digestion and the production of saliva.
Parasympathetic NS
Also known as efferent neurons and their axons connects directly to muscle fibres. Responsible for sending signals outwards from the central nervous system to skeletal and smooth muscles.
Motor Neurons
The process where weakest synapses between neurons are eliminated. Synapses that are active are strengthened and ones that are not used are weakened
Synaptic Pruning
They are very independent of the attachment figure both physically and emotionally. They do not seek contract with the attachment figure when distressed. Such children are likely to have a caregiver who is insensitive and rejecting of their needs.
Insecure Avoidant
Will the assessment tool yield the same results, when used by a different experimenter.
Inter-rater Reliability
Controls muscles which are responsible for the production of fluent speech and contains structures responsible for understanding grammatical rules.
Broca's area
The results of his research supported the idea of hemispheric lateralisation – that certain functions of the brain are controlled by one hemisphere of the brain.
Sperry
The tendency to focus, or center, on only one aspect of a situation, usually a perceptual aspect, and ignore other relevant aspects of the situation
Centration
If an infant is unable to develop a warm, intimate, and continuous relationship with its mother, then the child would have difficulty forming relationships with other people and be at risk of behavioural disorders
Maternal Deprivation Hypothesis
A variable other than the IV that has had an unwanted effect on the DV, making it impossible to determine which of the variables has produced the predicted change in the DV
Confounding Variable
At the base of the hindbrain in front of the cerebellum. Controls functions such as heart rate, breathing, digestion and swallowing
Medulla
Enables the identification of active brain areas by detecting changes in the blood-oxygen levels flowing through a functional brain.
fMRI
•When the existing schema (knowledge) does not work and needs to be changed to deal with a new object or situation. The new experience is so novel the person’s schema must be changed to achieve cognitive equilibrium.
The interaction was the one that Ainsworth was most interested in when determining the type of the attachment a child had.
Reaction to Reunion
Predetermined questions in a pre-set order with fixed wording
Structured Interviews