Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 4: Problem 3

Explain how children's brains change and develop during the preschool years.

Short Answer

Expert verified
During the preschool years, children's brains undergo significant changes. Their brains notably increase in size, largely due to the growth of white matter. This is also the time when synaptic pruning occurs, refining neural connections and making them more efficient. Structures like the cerebellum develop, improving coordination and spatial awareness, and the limbic system enhances emotional regulation.

Step by step solution

01

Increasing brain size

During preschool years, the brain notably increases in size. This is mainly due to the growth of white matter, the parts of the brain responsible for transmitting information between different areas, which improves cognitive processing. This expansion continues until around the age of 6 when the brain has reached about 90% of its adult size.
02

Refinement of neural connections

Preschool years are marked by the refinement of neural connections. Through a process called synaptic pruning, unnecessary neural connections are eliminated, which makes the remaining connections more efficient. The brain area experiencing the most development during this age is the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for cognitive processes such as decision-making and social behavior.
03

Structural and functional redevelopment

During the preschool years, various structures and functions of the brain develop significantly. For example, the development of the cerebellum, an area of the brain responsible for motor movement, improves coordination and spatial awareness. The development of the limbic system, which is responsible for emotional regulation, facilitates the child's social and emotional development.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Explain how preschool-age children develop a moral sense. Piaget believed that preschool-age children are in the heteronomous morality stage of moral development, characterized by a belief in external, unchangeable rules of conduct and sure, immediate punishment for all misdeeds. In contrast, social learning approaches to morality emphasize interactions between environment and behavior in moral development, in which models of behavior play an important role. Some developmentalists believe that moral behavior is rooted in a child's development of empathy. Other emotions, including the negative emotions of anger and shame, may also promote moral behavior.

Describe the process of gross motor development in preschool-age children.

Describe the state of children's overall health during the preschool years.

Describe the sorts of social relationships that are typical of preschool-age children. Play among preschoolers is an important form of social learning. Children generally move from parallel play, to onlooker play, to associative play, and ultimately to cooperative play. In the preschool period, social relationships begin to encompass genuine friendships, which involve trust and endure over time.

Analyze theoretical perspectives on the ways in which aggression develops in preschool-age children. Aggression, which involves intentional harm to another person, begins to emerge in the preschool years. Some ethologists, such as Konrad Lorenz, believe that aggression is simply a biological fact of human life. Social learning theorists focus on the role of the environment, including the influence of models and social reinforcement as factors influencing aggressive behavior. The cognitive approach to aggression emphasizes the role of interpretations of the behaviors of others in determining aggressive or nonaggressive responses.
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Psychology Textbooks

Issues and Debates in Psychology

Read Explanation

Approaches in Psychology

Read Explanation

Health Psychology

Read Explanation

Personality in Psychology

Read Explanation

Scientific Investigation

Read Explanation

Biopsychology

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free