WGU D570 KEY TERMS AND DEFINITIONS LATEST
UPDATED
biological milestones
universal developmental events, such as puberty
cognition
all mental abilities, including perceiving, learning, remembering, thinking,
reasoning, and understanding
cognitive development
development of thinking and reasoning abilities
developmental milestones
normative events marking stages in development
fluid intelligence
information processing abilities, such as logical reasoning, spatial ability, and
reaction time
genotype
genetic makeup influencing traits
learning
the improvement of an organism's response to the environment through the
acquisition of new information
memory
the study of the capacity and fragility of human memory, focusing on
acquisition, storage, and retrieval
Neuroplasticity
the brain's capacity to reorganize and adapt
normative approach
,study of age-related averages for developmental milestones
object permanence
understanding that objects continue to exist even when out of sight
psychosocial development
development related to emotions, personality, and social relationships
action potential
propagated electrical potential responsible for transmitting neural information
and for communication between neurons. Action potentials typically travel
down a neuron's axon.
Broca's area
in the frontal lobe, identified as specialized for language production
cerebral cortex
a layer of tissue about 3 mm thick covering the brain, responsible for many
cognitive functions
connectome
the structural description of the network of elements and connections forming
the human brain, often referred to as the wiring diagram of neurons in the brain
Default Mode Network (DMN)
a network of brain structures that respond when a person is not involved in
specific tasks. The DMN is associated with mind wandering and becomes active
during rest
distributed processing
the idea that different areas of the brain are involved in a particular type of
cognition and are interconnected, allowing communication between them
distributed representation
cognitions activate several areas of the brain, which is evident in responses to
faces, memories, and language processing
experience-dependent placicity
a phenomenon where the structure of the brain is changed by experience,
leading to alterations in neural connections
, hierarchical processing
a progression from lower to higher areas of the brain, where neurons at higher
levels respond to more complex stimuli
localization of function
principle of brain organization where specific areas of the brain serve specific
functions
neurotransmitter
a chemical released at the synapse of a neuron, facilitating the transmission of
signals across the gap to another neuron
brain imaging
a technique that measures brain activity by capturing images of the brain, often
using methods such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
dissociations
cases in which there is a separation or difference between two cognitive
functions, such as imagery and perception.
frontal lobe
the front part of the brain, which is involved in various cognitive functions,
including perception and imagery.
imagery
mental representation of visual or sensory experiences; a central element in the
cognitive revolution.
imageless thought debate
a discussion arising from Wundt's proposal linking imagery and thinking,
debating whether thought can occur without mental images.
method of loci
using familiar spatial layouts (e.g., house or campus) to remember events. Pick
five to seven things, create an image for each, and place them at locations.
Follow a specific order or path to encounter images in the correct sequence.
paired-associate learning
a method employed by Paivio, wherein participants recall words paired during a
study period, revealing differences in memory for concrete and abstract nouns.
UPDATED
biological milestones
universal developmental events, such as puberty
cognition
all mental abilities, including perceiving, learning, remembering, thinking,
reasoning, and understanding
cognitive development
development of thinking and reasoning abilities
developmental milestones
normative events marking stages in development
fluid intelligence
information processing abilities, such as logical reasoning, spatial ability, and
reaction time
genotype
genetic makeup influencing traits
learning
the improvement of an organism's response to the environment through the
acquisition of new information
memory
the study of the capacity and fragility of human memory, focusing on
acquisition, storage, and retrieval
Neuroplasticity
the brain's capacity to reorganize and adapt
normative approach
,study of age-related averages for developmental milestones
object permanence
understanding that objects continue to exist even when out of sight
psychosocial development
development related to emotions, personality, and social relationships
action potential
propagated electrical potential responsible for transmitting neural information
and for communication between neurons. Action potentials typically travel
down a neuron's axon.
Broca's area
in the frontal lobe, identified as specialized for language production
cerebral cortex
a layer of tissue about 3 mm thick covering the brain, responsible for many
cognitive functions
connectome
the structural description of the network of elements and connections forming
the human brain, often referred to as the wiring diagram of neurons in the brain
Default Mode Network (DMN)
a network of brain structures that respond when a person is not involved in
specific tasks. The DMN is associated with mind wandering and becomes active
during rest
distributed processing
the idea that different areas of the brain are involved in a particular type of
cognition and are interconnected, allowing communication between them
distributed representation
cognitions activate several areas of the brain, which is evident in responses to
faces, memories, and language processing
experience-dependent placicity
a phenomenon where the structure of the brain is changed by experience,
leading to alterations in neural connections
, hierarchical processing
a progression from lower to higher areas of the brain, where neurons at higher
levels respond to more complex stimuli
localization of function
principle of brain organization where specific areas of the brain serve specific
functions
neurotransmitter
a chemical released at the synapse of a neuron, facilitating the transmission of
signals across the gap to another neuron
brain imaging
a technique that measures brain activity by capturing images of the brain, often
using methods such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
dissociations
cases in which there is a separation or difference between two cognitive
functions, such as imagery and perception.
frontal lobe
the front part of the brain, which is involved in various cognitive functions,
including perception and imagery.
imagery
mental representation of visual or sensory experiences; a central element in the
cognitive revolution.
imageless thought debate
a discussion arising from Wundt's proposal linking imagery and thinking,
debating whether thought can occur without mental images.
method of loci
using familiar spatial layouts (e.g., house or campus) to remember events. Pick
five to seven things, create an image for each, and place them at locations.
Follow a specific order or path to encounter images in the correct sequence.
paired-associate learning
a method employed by Paivio, wherein participants recall words paired during a
study period, revealing differences in memory for concrete and abstract nouns.
