Describe some of the major changes in brain development in middle childhood and the effects these changes have on cognition
What will be an ideal response?
Answer: 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 consciousness, impulse control, integration of information, and strategic thinking), 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, thus, 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 become increasingly selective, responding only to certain chemical messages. This change may add to school-age children's more efficient thinking.
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In the sentence, "Chris called up the psychology professor," what is the surface structure?
a. "Chris called professor." b. "The psychology professor was called up by Chris." c. "Chris called up the psychology professor." d. "Chris (subject) called up (verb) the psychology professor (object)."
According to statistics presented in the text, which of the following statements is the most accurate summary of how the prevalence of child abuse has changed over the past decade or two?
a. Child abuse is much more common now than in the mid-1990s. b. Child abuse is slightly more common now than in the mid-1990s. c. The prevalence of child abuse has not changed significantly since the mid-1990s. d. Child abuse is much less common now than in the mid-1990s.