There is no doubt that teens value their friends and what they think of them. In fact, friendship is considerably one of the most important parts of adolescence. High quality friendships have been related to positive developmental outcomes, as well as mental health. Conversely, quality friendships can help to protect against the negative effects of hardships. But what about the way these friendships actually affect the brain itself?

Interestingly, there seems to be a connection between reward and friendships. There were a few areas of activation when a brain imaging study was done, having teens visualize their friends and having them determine whether they would approach them. However, two of note were the ventral striatum(VS) and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). The VS has been well established on its role in reward in the brain, but the role of the VS and vmPFC has been hypothesized to form a valuation system in the brain. This means that they guide decision making by responding to rewards. These areas can be more activated during the sharing of emotions, such as watching an emotional video together. 

If you want to read more about how friendships affect the brain, click here!

Kaitlyn Vitucci
UConn KIDS, Research Assistant

Welcome back to Trivia Tuesday!

This weeks question is…True or false: a “rooting reflex” is defined as “an automatic, unlearned response in newborns to a gentle stimulus on the cheek or corner of the mouth.” A newborn will turn their heads and make a sucking motion. 

A. True
B. False

Last weeks question was “True or false: Maturation is defined as ‘an increase, through experience, of problem-solving ability.'” The answer was false, the correct term is learning!

Tune in next week to find out the answer to this weeks question!

Psychologists have been interested in the influence of early musical training on executive functions, especially when musical training began during the “sensitive period”. The sensitive period is a time when children are sensitive to specific stimuli or interactions, this is similar to the critical period, however the distinction is that skills learned during the sensitive period can be learned later in life; such as musical training. Executive functions are defined as “a set of cognitive skills involved in goal-directed problem solving, including working memory, inhibitory control, and set shifting/flexibility.” 

A study was conducted to determine executive functions’ association with musical training, and whether there was a sensitive period involved.Two experiments conducted: The first experiment had children who were musically trained and those who were not complete tasks, and the results of the first experiment showed that children who were musically trained had an advantage in attention and response inhibition, and working memory. The second experiment tested the difference between those who were musical trained from a young age and those who were musically trained at a later age, and the results for those who were musically trained earlier were conclusive with the first experiment, but those who were musically trained later did better in attention inhibition compared to those who are not musically trained. 

This study highlighted the benefits of being musically trained at an early age, however it is never too late to learn a new skill and experience the benefits that come with it!

If you want to read more, click here! 

Kaitlyn Vitucci
Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

Welcome back to Trivia Tuesday!

True or false: Maturation is defined as “an increase, through experience, of problem-solving ability.” 

A. True
B. False

 

Last weeks question was…”True or false: The brain’s “critical period” refers to a time period in which an organism displays a heightened sensitivity to certain environmental stimuli and it may be impossible to develop these functions later in life– such as developing language. ” The answer is true!

Tune in next week to find out the answers to this weeks question!

Welcome back to Trivia Tuesday!

This weeks’ question is…True or false: The brain’s “critical period” refers to a time period in which an organism displays a heightened sensitivity to certain environmental stimuli and it may be impossible to develop these functions later in life– such as developing language. 

A. True
B. False

Last weeks question was ” _______ deals with how cognitive processes— such as reasoning, perception and memory— change over time.” The answer was Cognitive Development!

Tune in next week to find out the answer to this weeks question!

Children’s early experiences physically shape their brain, but this goes both ways for positive and negative experiences. The negative effects of chronic stress have been well established, and it is important to remember that this does not only impact adults but children as well. However, there is no need to fear because of the plasticity of children’s brains; which refers to the brain’s ability to change and adapt.

The brain’s response to chronic stress can “be buffered and even reversed” because of plasticity, and early intervention is a crucial aspect. Warm and nurturing relationships in particular have been found to help counteract the neurobiological response to stress, and warm and nurturing relationships do not only have to be between biological parents. Intervention programs have been designed to do exactly this, and so far the results have been promising.

 

If you want to read more click Here! 

Kaitlyn Vitucci

UConn KIDS, Research Assistant

Welcome back to Trivia Tuesday!

This week’s question is: _______ deals with how cognitive processes— such as reasoning, perception and memory— change over time.

A. Cognitive development

B. Perceptual development

C. Moral development

D. Attachment theory

 

Last week’s question was…”True or False: The brain starts to grow as a neural tube?” The answer is true!

Tune in next week to find out the answer to this weeks question!

Welcome back to Trivia Tuesday!

True or False: The brain starts to grow as a neural tube?

Tune in next week to find out the answer to this weeks question!

Welcome back to Trivia Tuesday!

This weeks question is…True or false: the three developmental domains are physical, cognitive, and social-emotional.
A. True
B. False

Last weeks question was… “True or false: You may inherit traits, such as height/weight, that may affect growth and development?” The answer was true!

It’s not a new phenomenon that kids like to play games and procrastinate, sometimes doing anything other than their school work. However, it is extremely important for children to learn and a great way to do this is through video games themselves!

This can be done through Game-Based Learning, which is defined as “use of games to support teaching and learning.” These games are suitable for children as young as 5 years old, and they are broken up into levels. 

Level 1 includes simple shapes and simple logic based concepts. Level 2 introduces addition and subtraction. Lastly, Level 3 introduces multiplication and division. Some studies have supported that these methods of learning can be more effective than usual methods!

If you want to know more about these games, click here!

Kaitlyn Vitucci

UConn KIDS, Research Assistant