Chapter 7, 8, and 9 Discussion "Essentials of Human Life-Span Development"

Essay by mossdonnellCollege, UndergraduateA+, August 2014

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ASSIGNMENT #3 (Chapters 7, 8, and 9)

THE PERIOD OF MIDDLE AND LATE CHILDHOOD INVOLVES SLOW, CONSISTENT GROWTH. THIS IS A PERIOD OF CALM BEFORE THE RAPID GROWTH SPURT OF ADOLESCENCE. DESCRIBE THE CHANGES IN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT THAT OCCUR DURING THIS STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT.

During middle and late childhood, the brain does not grow much more in terms of total volume. However, the brain does continue to develop in less conspicuous ways. Specifically, the synaptic "pruning of neural connections is characteristic of the activation of certain areas of the brain and the decrease in use of others. For example, researchers have found that although the frontal lobe doesn't grow much more during this period, there is more neural activation within the prefrontal cortex. In fact, this focused neural activation occurred at the same time as an increased efficiency in cognitive performance. Additionally, researchers believe that this development in the prefrontal cortex enables the function of other brain regions as it provides an organizational role.

As the child gains an increasing amount of experience, the prefrontal cortex coordinates which neural connections are the most effective for solving a problem at hand.

Resources:

Santrock, John (2013-01-01). Essentials of Life-Span Development, 3rd edition. McGraw-Hill Higher Education -A. Kindle Edition.

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Disabilities

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