Samenvatting Developmental Cognitive
Neuroscience – M. H. Johnson & M. de Haan
Chapter 1: The Biology of Change
During the child’s growth the brain volume grows four times its size. Can go together with
changes in behavior, thought and emotion.
What is the relation between mind and body? (Cognitive neuroscience)
What is the origin of organized structures? (Developmental studies)
o Phylogenetic: origin of species (Darwin) evolution
o Ontogenetic: biological structure is constructed afresh in each individual by complex
and variable interactions between genes and their respective environments. So, the
information is not in the genes, but in the interaction between genes and the
environment individual development, constructivism
Which one is more decisive? nature/nurture discussion
1.1 Viewpoints on Development
17th century: vitalists (ontogenetic change was driven by “vital” forces, ill-defined forces
though) vs. the preformationists (a complete human being was inside the male sperm or
female egg). Nowadays the genes have replaced the “tiny humans” inside sperm or female
eggs: regulators and switching genes. It is supposed there is a fixed mapping between the
genes and the final form they will take.
If you believe in nurture (instead of nature) you also view the information existent in genes,
only the source of it is different. Think of the Little Albert Experiment!
Preformationism involves the execution of plans or codes or the incorporation of information
from the structure of the environment.
Constructivism: example Jean Piaget. The relationship between the initial state and the final
product can only be understood by considering the progressive construction of information,
which is a dynamic multifactorial process. We have not yet found out the mapping between
genes and the environment about the final product (adult brain), but we should unravel
some interactions between them.
1.2 Analyzing Development
o The term “innate” has been banned mostly, because it has turned out that genes interact
with the environment. Because (Gottlieb, 1992) if a chicken embryo is implemented with a
mouse’s tissue it will form teeth instead of a beak. Ew. This is because teeth production has
been retained because they have reptiles as ancestors.
o Learning = interactions between the organism and aspects of the environment unique to an
individual, or subset of member of a species.
o Greenough, Black, Wallace (2002): difference between two types of information storage
induced by the environment.
o Experience-expectant information storage: changes that are common to all members
of a species, which is associated with selective synaptic loss
o Experience-dependent information storage: interactions with the environment that
can/are specific to an individual, associated with new synaptic connections
1
Neuroscience – M. H. Johnson & M. de Haan
Chapter 1: The Biology of Change
During the child’s growth the brain volume grows four times its size. Can go together with
changes in behavior, thought and emotion.
What is the relation between mind and body? (Cognitive neuroscience)
What is the origin of organized structures? (Developmental studies)
o Phylogenetic: origin of species (Darwin) evolution
o Ontogenetic: biological structure is constructed afresh in each individual by complex
and variable interactions between genes and their respective environments. So, the
information is not in the genes, but in the interaction between genes and the
environment individual development, constructivism
Which one is more decisive? nature/nurture discussion
1.1 Viewpoints on Development
17th century: vitalists (ontogenetic change was driven by “vital” forces, ill-defined forces
though) vs. the preformationists (a complete human being was inside the male sperm or
female egg). Nowadays the genes have replaced the “tiny humans” inside sperm or female
eggs: regulators and switching genes. It is supposed there is a fixed mapping between the
genes and the final form they will take.
If you believe in nurture (instead of nature) you also view the information existent in genes,
only the source of it is different. Think of the Little Albert Experiment!
Preformationism involves the execution of plans or codes or the incorporation of information
from the structure of the environment.
Constructivism: example Jean Piaget. The relationship between the initial state and the final
product can only be understood by considering the progressive construction of information,
which is a dynamic multifactorial process. We have not yet found out the mapping between
genes and the environment about the final product (adult brain), but we should unravel
some interactions between them.
1.2 Analyzing Development
o The term “innate” has been banned mostly, because it has turned out that genes interact
with the environment. Because (Gottlieb, 1992) if a chicken embryo is implemented with a
mouse’s tissue it will form teeth instead of a beak. Ew. This is because teeth production has
been retained because they have reptiles as ancestors.
o Learning = interactions between the organism and aspects of the environment unique to an
individual, or subset of member of a species.
o Greenough, Black, Wallace (2002): difference between two types of information storage
induced by the environment.
o Experience-expectant information storage: changes that are common to all members
of a species, which is associated with selective synaptic loss
o Experience-dependent information storage: interactions with the environment that
can/are specific to an individual, associated with new synaptic connections
1
