Describe some of the major changes in brain development that take place during middle childhood, and the effects these changes have on cognition.
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The weight of the brain increases by only 10 percent during middle childhood and adolescence. Nevertheless, considerable growth occurs in certain brain structures. White matter, consisting largely of myelinated nerve fibers, rises steadily throughout childhood and adolescence, especially in the prefrontal cortex (responsible for complex thought), in the parietal lobes (supporting spatial abilities), and in the corpus callosum (leading to more efficient communication between the two cortical hemispheres). Gray matter, consisting mostly of neurons and supportive material, peaks in middle childhood and then declines as synaptic pruning and death of surrounding neurons proceed. Pruning and accompanying reorganization of brain circuits lead to more optimized functioning of specific brain regions and, therefore, to more effective information processing. Additional brain development likely takes place at the level of neurotransmitters, chemicals that permit neurons to communicate across synapses. Over time, neurons may become increasingly selective, responding only to certain chemical messages. This change may contribute to school-age children's more efficient thinking.
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Pavlov paired the sound from a metronome with the presentation of food and measured the dog's salivation response. Salivation in response to the food is known as the unconditioned response
a. True b. False Indicate whether the statement is true or false
After a group of gang members learned that their friend had died in a seemingly random accident, several of them started blaming a rival gang for his death. Even though there was no evidence whatsoever that the rival gang was responsible, the more the friends talked, the more passionate they became in their belief that revenge was necessary. What concept from social psychology describes the process driving these friends toward revenge?
A. Social influence B. Prosocial behavior C. Altruism D. Groupthink
Explain the purpose of inferential statistics and how samples and populations are utilized to fulfill this purpose; and explain how a sample is chosen, and why it is chosen in this manner
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In which situation is Pryhoda most likely to stop to help a motorist standing next to a car on the side of the road?
a. When she is in a bad mood. b. When the stranded motorist is a man. c. When the stranded motorist is on the turnpike, with many cars going by. d. When the stranded motorist is the only car on a lonely back road in the country.