Question

what changes in the human cognition are seen across development? how are these changes related to changes in studies that use neuroimaging such as fMRI

Answer 1

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(Answer)

• Theory of development.

Jean Piaget’s Stages of Development: Piaget’s stages of cognitive development –

Sensorimotor (0-2 years) Infant develops learning based on what is absorbed through the senses.

Preoperational (2-6 years) Child uses images to understand objects but does not understand them logically.

Concrete operational (7-12) Child can think logically about concrete objects. They can add, subtract and observe.

Formal operational (12 and up) The child understands abstract terms and is able to hypothesize.

• Comparison of theory to biological development.

(Source: What have we learned about cognitive development from neuroimaging? By Sarah Druston and B.J. Casey.)

Increase in brain volume.

Changes in regional cortical and subcortical gray matter based on childhood events and experiences.

White matter shows a linear increase in volume from childhood to adulthood.

Development of the brain’s circuitry has been suggested to relate to the development of cognitive functions throughout an individual’s life.

Conclusion: Developmental growth occurs simultaneously to the increase in the volume of the brain. This might simply indicate that both forms of development are interdependent on each other.