Looking is a fundamental exploratory behavior by which infants acquire knowledge about the world. In theories of infant habituation, however, looking as an exploratory behavior has been deemphasized relative to the reliable nature with which looking indexes active cognitive processing. We present a new theory that connects looking to the dynamics…

In this article, we review the most important findings to have emerged during the past 10 years in the study of judgment and decision making (JDM) in adolescence and look ahead to possible new directions in this burgeoning area of research. Three inter-related shifts in research emphasis are of particular importance and serve to organize this…

A range of cognitive abilities improves in childhood and adolescence. It has been proposed that the protracted development of executive functions is related to the relatively late maturation of the prefrontal cortex. However, this has rarely been directly investigated. In this cross-sectional study, 98 healthy children and adolescents (8-19 years…

Adolescence is a time characterized by change--hormonally, physically, and mentally. We now know that some brain areas, particularly the frontal cortex, continue to develop well beyond childhood. There are two main changes with puberty. First, there is an increase in axonal myelination, which increases transmission speed. Second, there is a…

Noting research indicating that the flow of interaction with infants influences their brain development, this viewer's guide and videotape examine characteristics of early brain development and how parents can positively affect the infant's development in a number of areas. The first part of the viewer's guide provides an overview of the…

Major events in the maturation of the central nervous system (CNS) are reviewed relative to milestones for communication, speech, language, and cognition. Early insults to the CNS and their neuropsychological consequences are discussed. The role of patterns of myelination and dendritic branching to evolving stages of language and cognition are…

Debunks the "myth of the first three years"--notions about synaptic density changes, critical periods, and "enriched" or complex environments in early brain development. Neuroscientists say synaptic densities vary over the life span. There is no linear connection between number of synapses in the brain and brainpower or intelligence. (Contains 44…

Research findings in the area of brain growth periodization establish that the human brain does not grow on a constant continuum. Eighty-five to ninety percent of youngsters of average and above ability experience periods of great brain growth between ages 3-10 months, 2-4 years, 6-8 years, 10-12 years, and 14-16+ years. Mental growth data have…

Research reveals the importance of early experiences for the development of young children's brains. This guide suggests ways to make the most of children's brain potential at different ages. The activities described can be used to enhance all children's learning and brain development. Following an introduction, the guide's sections are: (1)…

Reviews current brain research and implications for science instruction. Includes discussions of correlations between Piagetian stages of cognitive development and human brain development, arousal and attention mechanisms, and hemispheric specialization. (SK)

Reviews the neural modeling principles of learning, perception, cognition, and motor control, discusses their applications to sensory-motor problem solving, and explores possible relationships between that pattern of problem solving and aspects of higher order formal operational problem solving. Cites implications for science education. (ML)

The traditional view of development is stage-like progress toward increasing complexity of form. However, the literature cites many examples in which children do worse before they do better. A major challenge for developmental theory, therefore, is to explain both global progress and apparent regression. In this article, we situate U-shaped…

For the individual, gender difference falls along the feminine-masculine continuum with strong neurodevelopmental influences at various points throughout the lifespan. Neurodevelopmental influences are conceptualized in a vector model of sex difference. Vector attributes, direction and magnitude, are influenced initially by differences in levels…