The Constructivist Theory and Brain Development Essay

The idea of epigenesis has become well known as an integral part of the constructivist theory which states that neural activity within the brain is largely spontaneous, driven by genetic and molecular instances (Mareschal, D., Johnson, M.H., Grayson, A., 2004). However, after birth, the neural activity is influenced by sensory and motor experience and the outside environment (Mareschal et al, 2004). Epigenesis is what the constructivist theory is about, the interaction between genes and the environment. A study done by Petersen et al used PET, or positron emission tomography, to understand the responses of native English adult speakers to written stimuli in the form of English words, pseudowords or words that had no meaning but could†¦show more content†¦During development, the temporal lobe is most responsible for responding to auditory (hearing) information, however for those who cannot hear, this section was used for a different sense (Mareschal et al, 2004). This sh ows that the temporal lobe in the brain, although genetically made to hear, had used the child’s sensory experience to become prominently involved with visual processing, or in other words, adapted to the environment that the child was in. If the brain was already made for development and not influenced by the outside world and environment, it would seem to be nearly impossible for a hearing part of the brain to adapt to only visual processing. Lastly, there was a study done by Mills that tested language acquisition in children, which also showed a link to epigenesis in development. This study concluded that with experience, certain types of processing in the brain are performed by more localised regions of the cortex (Mills, D.M, Coffey, S.A, Neville, H.J., 1993). The researchers collected data from ERPs that suggested processing of small words and control stimuli is spread over a large area of the cortex at first, however, this processing narrows to an area over the lef t temporal lobe only when the child’s vocabulary reaches about 200 words, regardless of the child’s age (Mareschal et al, 2004). One could argue that if this narrowing of processing of words happens at a particular age, then that area of theShow MoreRelatedConstructivist Learning Theory And Nursing Practice1520 Words   |  7 Pagesup-to-date. â€Å"Theory-based practice provides nurses with a perspective† (Parker, 2006, p.28). With the comprehension and use of educational theories, nursing educators can support student knowledge and development into practice. These theories are outlines of cohesive concepts and principals that describe, explain, or predict how people learn. 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