HUME 10- LECTURE DISCUSSIONS (PART 3)

Emergence of Cognitive Abilities

Only 25% of neurons are interconnected

during/after birth, 75% develop afterwards
upon experiencing various events.
Amygdala
-

pea-sized part of the brain

emotion generator

brain highly receptive to new info

primed to acquire new skills

Hippocampus
-

secretary of the brain

process information
decides whether info should be :stored
on the long/short term memory
RAM of the brain
working memory/ retrieves info

Cognitive Development
-

ability
to
suppress
inappropriate
thoughts and actions in favor of goaldirected
ones,
especially
in
the
presence of compelling incentives
- brain has 2 lobes:
o left: for language (signs, symbols)
o right: for creativity (imagination)
*when left is at work, right is at rest
*when right retrieves info, left processes
- cognitive development gives leadership
to the left lobe, frontal cortex
- language area is the most significant
part responsible for the evolution of
higher brain function development

dendrites in the area have the chance to

proliferate
massive dendrite growth (puberty, 15 yrs
old)
the development of the reproductive
system triggers a cascade of development
including cognitive development
many changes during offset of puberty
brain
thickeningoverproduction
(4 million dendrites/ neuron)

Pruning and Shaping of Neurons and Synapses

(15-19 yrs old)

gray matter(body): manager of the office

white matter (connection): messenger
neurons: neurons are the main cells that
make up your brain and the rest of the
nervous system. your brain has hundreds
of billions of neurons! that is around
20x more than all the people who live in
the world.

Make you realize that

-

your weaknesses can be the source of

your power to build your courage and
creativity
how you navigate the adolescent years
has direct impact on how you will live
the rest of your lives

Windows of Opportunity
(with diagram ng brain na mukhang burger)

strengthened

or

Myelination
-

frontal cortex further develops

action potential
more connection of neurons
opportunity for myelin sheath to thicken

becoming
consistent
and
efficient
electrical charge travels 100x faster
increase in attention span

Cognitive Abilities
Cognitive Potentials

The Brain
-

connections/ pathways
weakened (loses 40%)
use it or lose it

thinking about possibilities

thinking about abstract concepts or
theories beyond what is given
thinking about thinking (talks to self)
thinking in multidimensional (looking
at things at a wide perspective;
knowledge, theories, moralities coexist
and are dependent to each other)
adolescent relativism

Dimension of Changes in the Brain

pruning as a means of traffic control

dendrite formation
pruning (proliferate or chop off
dendrites)
myelination (buildings of strong
skyways takes place)
genetically controlled
shaped by experiences
intensified
with
strength
of
determination

the change in your brain circuitry is what

makes you who you are as adolescents; and the
change in your brain circuitry is necessary
for your generation to survive.

b) Mammalian
brainemotional
brain
(amygdala and hippocampus helps in our
emotional
balance
and
memory
processing; limbic system)
c) Neomammalian brain- thinking brain
(adapt and tame emotion center to
survive as a social group; cortexforebrain
makes
representation
or
images of things or consciousness;
language)

Mind and the Changing Emotions

Brain

Mind

Emotion

Four qualities of your mind (E.S.S.E.N.C.E.)

emotional spark
- increase in intensity of emotions
social engagement
- need for group affiliation
- belongingness and camouflage
novelty seeking
- dopamine release
creative exploration
- discovering your minds capacity

without these, you are not an adolescent

1. Emotional Development (Spark)
- ability to fine tune emotional responses
by
exhibiting
appropriate
actions
through the use of cognitive ability to
process
the
information,
known
as
self-regulation
- the emotion of an adolescent cannot be
changed in nature, what we can do is to
create an environment conducive for
positive development

Increase in Emotional Intensity

What is emotion?
- emotion is different from feelings
- physiological arousal
- emotions are physiological responses to
stimuli designed to push us away from
danger and towards reward
- mechanism for survival
- make you more vigilant of danger in
relation to thrill-seeking activity
- basic
emotions:
fear,
sadness,
happiness
- component: feeling (emotions realized)
- action in behavior
- emotion-> feeling-> reaction
Three layers of the brain
a) Reptilian
brainsurvival
brain
(fight, flight, or freeze; brain stem)

* significance of the cortex

-

helps bring consciousness in our lives

enables to think clearly about things
assess situation and create reasons
remember other event simultaneously
with what is going on
to pause and reflect on what is going on
external
stimuli->
sensory
neuron
(senses)->
thalamus->
orbitofrontal
cortex (evaluates situation)-> breaking
signal
to
thalamus
via
neurotransmitter-> stop motor movement

Why do
system?
-

we

need

to

tame

our

emotional

lessen the stress experienced by the

body during their emotional state
to keep us in harmony with ourselves and
with others
high
emotionality
impedes
learning
because stress would literally hijack
the thinking brain
continuous
stress
means
prolonged
cortisol elevation which weakens our
immune system and increase fat storage
leading to weight gain
can damage hippocampus or the memory
reduces the brains ability to produce
dopamine,
serotonin,
and
other
chemicals
to
maintain
cognitive
efficiency and emotional stability
attention
and
memory
will
suffer,
depression, and anxiety follow
then sleep difficulties, behavioral
challenges,
concentration
problems,
social isolation, headaches, stomach
aches, and other physical ailments which
are symptoms of chronic and severe
stress

2. Creative Exploration
- changes in the circuitry of the brain->
ability to think in abstract ways->
creative and conscious exploration of
what your mind is capable of- divergent
thinking->
CREATIVE
EXPLORATION
pseudostupidity

Pseudostupidity: refers to the failure

to successfully solve a basically simple
problem because one has applied a too
complex solution
hypothetical thinking develops which is
important in decision-making ability

3. Novelty Seeking
- the circuitry of your brain is driven by
reward
- lower
level
of
dopamine
during
adolescence
is
compensated
by
the
enhanced natural dopamine release when
you are engaged in thrillsome activities
the thrill downplays
dangerous behavior

the

risk

the exploration of novelty

creative explorations

result

leads

you

in

to

increase in emotional intensity (reactivity)

to detect danger

low level
of
dopamnine
risk
potentials
ignored

boredom

exhilaratin
g sensation

thrilling
activity

dopamine
release

4. Social Engagement
- emergence of the social self
- increase in ability to connect to
others brains (peer clustered theory)
- intense social engagement with peers
increases the drive toward reward,
novelty, and to take risks
- camouflage
increase in oxytocin within a group
during adolescence

Changes in circuitry of brain are necessary to

create important shifts in your thinking,
feeling, interacting, and decision making.
Meta-cognition:
thinking

(mindsight)thinking

about

- involves monitoring ones cognitive activity

during the process of thinking

personal fable
imaginary audience
hyper-rationality

1. Personal Fable
- belief that your experiences are unique
and special
- indestructible self (daring) due to lack
of intuition
- the idea of it will never happen to me,
only the other person!
2. Imaginary Audience
- feeling of being on stage with the
attention of others constantly centered
upon their appearance or actions
- manifestation of the emergence of the
social self
o heightened self-consciousness
o idea that other people are viewing
their
actions,
thoughts,
and
appearances
o ability
to
conceptualize
other
peoples thoughts and take their
perspective opportunity
3. Hyper-rationality
- reasons effectively
- argumentative- it depends form of
argument especially with parents become
frequent
- gain more sophisticated understanding of
the complexity of knowledge
Danger Zone
- impulsiveness- pursue behavior without
thoughtful reflection
- susceptible to addiction (substances that
are
addictive
involves
release
of
dopamine)
- hyper-rationality:
literal
thinking
rather than seeing the big picture; you
tend to look at the calculated benefits
rather than the risks- the risks seem
worth it.

Five- part model of Emotional Intelligence

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

self-awareness
self-management
self-motivation
other-awareness
relationship management

Peer Cluster Theory

- it is within these close-knit groups that
information and ideas are exchanged, and
attitudes and beliefs are formed and altered
- members are not passive participants,
subject only to the influence of others
- you contribute to the development of peer
cluster norms and behaviors
- emergence
of
intimate
relationships
characterized
by
open
disclosure
of
personal information
- more advance communication skills which
includes
self-disclosure
and
listening
skills
- openness leading to emotional intimacy
Significance of peer group
- friends influencing friends leading due to
shared psychological attributes reciprocal
emotional
commitment
based
on
true
acceptance
- leads to development of social competencies
- regular interaction leads to: sense of
belongingness, conformity or acceptance and
sharing of norms that specify how members
are supposed to behave
- contribute to problem solving skills
- pushing boundaries but together explore
their generations space and boundaries
The cranky and depressed teenager
- without REM sleep, people become cranky and
depressed
- memorys judgment are impaired
- performs poorly on tests of reaction time
(teenagers need 9hrs and 15 mins of sleep!)
Values
- define who we are and help determine
behavior
- a personal measure of worth or importance
assigned to objects, ideas, beliefs and
principles
- ways of upholding certain priorities

1. Personal Values
- these are values expressed in the
manners by which individuals copes in
everyday life
self-discipline
punctuality
respect for high-quality work
self-evaluation of ones support and
work
achievement
devotion to the task
decisiveness
orderliness
goal orientation
2. Moral Values
- manifested on how one perceives
concepts of what is right and wrong
ingrained responsibility to respect
freedom and rights of others
honesty
dependability
tolerance
peace of mind
a sense of fair play
integrity
concern for long-range benefits
consistency between ones ideas
actions
3.

the
and
the

and

Social Values
- manifested in the manner by which one
relates to others in social interactions
support
cooperation
recognition
independence
justice
benevolence/compassion
equity
conformity
respect for law
significance of majority rule
sense of interdependence
recognition of the worth
Acquiring Values
(unfinished)

The Art of Communication

- storm and stress theory
- lack of communication or poor communication
is possibly a result of a specific conflict
rather that the cause of it
Elements in a Communication Scenario

sender

Verbal
Vocal
Visual

receiver

Social Exchange Theory

- the one who communicate is responsible for

proper understanding by the receiver
Signals of Offensiveness
attacking the critic
verbal aggression
sarcasm
rationalization
compensation
regression
physical avoidance
repression
apathy
displacement
ROMANTIC
Intimacy

RELATIONSHIPS:

- acts as buffer when difficulties come

- WE DESIRE TO BE WITH SOMEONE WHO CAN
FULFILL ALL THESE NEEDS Therefore, desire
for
a
relationship
where
you
can
anticipate:
openness
sharing
mutual trust
self-abandonment
commitment

- states that when two people embark

relationship or consider whether to
in one, they mentally compute what
can get from each other and what they
to offer in return.
- a sense of equity

in a
stay
they
have

Outcome= Rewards- Costs

State of Relationship= Material/ Non-material goods

Theory of Different Voice

The

Quest

for

- be more intelligent in choosing your mate!

WOMEN
MEN
Feminine Ethics of Care
Masculine
Ethics
of
- relationship-oriented Justice
-greater
need
for
- task-oriented
connectedness
greater
need
for
- women change rules in
equality and fair play
order
to
preserve
- men abide by the rules
relationships
and see relationships as
replaceable

Sex and Intimacy: A search for love

- loneliness sometimes become the trigger for
the search for intimacy
- loneliness is not about how many friends
you have; its about feeling disconnected
from the rest of the world

Sternbergs Theory of Love

Two Types of Loneliness

1. Social Loneliness- occurs when you have
less interpersonal interaction than you
desire
2. Emotional Loneliness- occurs when you
have fewer intimate relationships than
you desire
- Intimacy is a human need
- sex is a way to fulfill intimacy needs
- but sex without intimacy leaves us feeling
more empty and lonely
- (remember the story of Charles)

Intimacy in Intimate Relationships

- brings us a sense of satisfaction and a
sense of fulfilment
- it enhances our sense of well-being

Passion: super crush; anxiety, not

retained
Intimacy: friendship; feeling of being
connected

Dimension of Intimacy
Openness

Breadth*

Depth**

* associated with the number of activities

enjoyed together
** how much are you involved?; sincerity
Depth of Intimacy is measured by:
1. Orientation: or extent to which the
individuals thinking, feelings, and
behavior are focused on the partner and
relationship rather than the self
2. Caring and Concern: entail/demand selfsacrifice, skills, knowledge of respect
3. Sexuality:
degree
to
which
the
individuals sexual life emphasizes
mutuality rather than personal concerns
4. Extent of commitment to each other
5. Nature or kind of communication with the
other
in
terms
of
listening
and
revealing; and how often communication
is initiated
Sexual Behavior and Activities
To avoid or engage in these?

Hugging ->
Kissing ->
Fonding ->
Nibbling->
Petting ->
Intercourse