Brain and Behaviour

Question 1

What are the main influences on language development?

Answer 1

Genetic factors – some mutations lead to severe language problems –gene expression realises basic neural mechanisms for language
Condition e.g. autism, ADD, developmental verbal dyspraxia

Question 2

What is the critical period for language acquisition?

Answer 2

As age increases from birth, ease of learning language decreases from age 3-8
Past the age of 10, ease of learning language is much lower than earlier in life

Question 3

What is executive functioning?

Answer 3

The executive system processes novel situations outside the domain of some of our automatic psychological processes

Question 4

State some common characteristics of dysexecutive syndrome.

Answer 4

Impulsivity
Disinhibition
Emotional bluntness
Attention problems
Perseveration
Inability to plan/manage goal-directed behaviour
Copes with written instruction and structure but not with unstructured tasks
Difficulty grasping complex or abstract ideas