Working Memory is ones ability to temporarily store and hold information whilst simultaneously processing new information (Duff & Hampson, 2001). Spatial working memory is what allows us to remember spatial locations and objects during motion (Jiang, Capistrano, & Palm 2014). Located in the prefrontal cortex, this function is imperative in ones ability to determine their surroundings, taking in and work on sensory triggers and information. Impairments to this area, which is highly common among those with autism, affects ones ability to represent objects and location. Autism is defined as neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by persistent social and communicative impairments (Kirkovski, Enticott, & Fitzgerald, 2013) and interactions (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) …show more content…
Males are exposed to higher levels of testosterone in utero, which effect the fetal development of ones hands (Malas, Dogan, Hilal Evcil & Desdicioglu, 2006). Males second and fourth fingers have been found to be closer together in size, as a result their 2D:4D ratio is smaller as there is less of a difference between the length of these 2 fingers comparatively to women. This proof of higher levels of testosterone in males (Lemon, Gargaro, Enticott, & Rinehart, 2010) can then be linked to ones susceptibility for autism due to the cerebral Lateralisation (Kalmady et al., 2013) as well as damage to the amygdala (Schneider et al., 2011) and how testosterone effects the development of the left hemisphere, which is associated with working memory. It is this reduced metabolism in the prefrontal cortex, primarily the left hemisphere is associated with autism, which indicates testosterone levels in utero may result in higher chances of autism. (Luna et al.,
Structure and function can not be separated from one another and changes in one indicate alterations in the other. Because an autistic person has brain defects, a reasonable assumption is made that changes in structure will alter the behavior. An autistic person is characterized by having impaired social interaction, difficulty with communication both verbal and nonverbal, trouble with imagination, and limited activities and interests. By analyzing the abnormal behaviors of the autistic person, the roles that the cerebellum, the corpus callosum, the amygdala, and the hippocampus play in the disease can be inferred.
Various previous studies found that girl and boys have different type of toys preferences that can be learned through modeling and reinforcement. There are also biological factors that influence the differences between girls and boys. Gonadal hormones highly influence the development of sex differences in terms of behavior and in the brain at different species of animals. There is a unique case where females with genetic disorder congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) –highly exposed to adrenal androgens before birth –shows a more manly behavior and physical energy with higher spatial ability than normal females. Other findings also show similar results caused by masculine hormones by maternal ingestion during pregnancy.
...sorders on the spectrum such as AS. Several of the sources used in the composition of this paper refer to the belief that Autism is a form of “extreme male brain”, an exaggeration of male traits caused by high levels of testosterone while in utero. In spite of the disparity between the two genders, there are girls struggling with this disorder, and they often experience more severe symptoms than their male counterpart (Rudacille).
One of the most characteristic features of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is its prominent higher prevalence among the male gender in comparison with the female gender. Although rates of ASD are consistent across cultures, these rates vary significantly by gender. It is the male gender that seems to be more affected by ASD with an average male-to-female ratio of 4.2:1, affecting 1 in 70 males and only 1 in 315 females (Fombonne, 2009). Although a well-known fact, the causes for such a great difference among sex ratios still remains unexplained, there are several hypotheses and studies trying to explain the reason for this inequality. In this paper I will outline some of the different attempts to explain the differences between the sex ratios. Among these attempts we can find diverse hypotheses that vary from the role of the sex hormones and genetic vulnerability to the biases of medical professionals during the diagnostic process (Goldman, 2013).
This essay addresses the working memory model which was proposed by Baddeley and Hitch (1974 in Smith & Kosslyn, 2007) as a response to Atkinson and Shiffrins (1968 in Smith, 2007) multi-store model. According to Baddely and Hitch the multi-store model failed to explain most of the complexities of the human memory and viewed it as being too simplistic. They argued that the short term memory store must have more components rather it being a single inflexible store as suggested previously by Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968). The working memory model is therefore an enhancement of the multi store model. According to Baddeley and Hitch working memory is a limited- capacity system that stores and processes information.
autism, and males with the disorder outnumber females with it by nearly 5 to 1. It
The Effects of Levels of Processing on Memory PB1: Identify the aim of the research and state the experimental/alternative hypothesis/es. (credited in the report mark scheme) To show how different levels of processing affects the memory. “People who process information deeply (i.e. semantic processing) tend to remember more than those who process information shallowly (i.e. visual processing). ” PB2: Explain why a directional or non-directional experimental/alternative hypothesis/es has been selected. (I mark) I have used a directional experimental hypothesis because past research, such as that by Craik and Tulving (1975) has proved this. PB3:
Autism is a brain dysfunction genetically passed down and resulting with abnormalities in the corpus callosum which allows for one to efficiently communicate. Amygdala which facilitates regular emotions and social behavior, and lastly the cerebellum which determines hand eye and motor skill as well as neuron activity that affect the brain in autism. Spect scans of children with autism show an unusual amount of nerve fibers in the brain. At birth their brains are disproportionately smaller than most beings but in short lapse of a year there brains grow rapidly and above average for their age at a year and a half old. All these facets play a role in the main reasoning for lack of transmission from one side to the other (delaying responses and reactions). In scientific research there is no clear explanation of which autism originates or is spawne...
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that has been a significant topic of research over the last few decades. While there is no conclusive findings as to what causes Autism, there are many reasonable theories that help to explain how this particular disorder develops. The purpose of this review is to explore and discuss various theories presented in biopsychology as to what causes Autism. Through the examination of several articles and studies, several theories will be presented. Such theories will include the Executive Function Theory, the effect of thimersol and vaccines, the effect of SHANK3, environmental factors, and genetics, all of which will be discussed in further detail.
Autism is a developmental disorder that appears within the first three years of a child’s life. It affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills. Autism affects 1 out of 68 children. It is also the fastest growing disability in the United States. There are multiple types of Autism, some children are considered high functioning, and some are low functioning. “High functioning” is when a child with autism can function in life, and completes jobs, and chores with little to no help. “Low functioning” is when a child with autism cannot complete simple daily tasks without help, and (or) constant supervision.
There is no known single cause of autism. Researchers are investigating a number of possible theories including genetics, heredity, medical problems, problems during pregnancy or delivery, as well as environmental influences. It is widely accepted that it is caused by abnormalities in the brain structure or function. There is evidence from neuropathological studies that autism has its origins in abnormal brain development early in prenatal life which continues postnatally, showing acceleration in brain growth measured by head circumference (Zwaigenbaum, L., Bryson, S., Rogers, T., Roberts, W., Brian, J., & Szatmari, P., 2005). The disorder also seems to have a genetic basis, although researchers have yet to find the specific genes that link to the onset of autism. There could be a cluster of genes that have somehow interfered with normal brain development and function. Studies show that twins of children with autism were more likely to be autistic themselves than the regular population, demonstrating there is a heredity lin...
Working Memory and ADHD Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental disorder of the neurodevelopmental type. It is characterized by problems paying attention, excessive activity, or difficulty controlling behavior which is not appropriate for a person's age. Working memory is a cognitive system with a limited capacity that is responsible for temporarily holding information available for processing.
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that effects the brains development. It is characterized by affecting communication, cognition and social interaction. The spectrum of the disorders ranges from a mild condition called Asperger’s syndrome to a more severe form, which severely impairer’s development. The Office of Communications and Public Liaison states that the disorder affects one and eighty-eight children, however ASD effects boys more frequently than girls (Office of Communications and Public Liaison, 2013). ASD emerges in all age, ethnic and socioeconomic groups. The significant varied character and severity of the disorder is why ASD is considered a spectrum that poses a broad range of symptoms.
In contrast, researchers found no statistical difference in children with high-functioning autism in the tracking memory task compared with the children with healthy brain maturation, although researchers feel they would have found a difference with a cleaner test between the groups (Yuhong et al., 2014). Findings also indicate that children with high-functioning autism have a harder time with retaining information when performing a spatial working memory task (Yuhong et al., 2014). Overall, examining both developmental and gender differences in children on spatial memory has suggested that these differences do exist, and future research can utilize different spatial memory tasks in order to further expand these findings.
It is proven that the male and female brains differ, but can one prove that it affects the behavior? Many scientists would agree that ones behavior is determined by his/her gender. Although others are convinced that social conditioning is the cause for the differences between the male and female, it is very unlikely that biological differences play no role in behavior. The male and female brains differ not only by how they work, but also on the size. For example, Natalie Angier and Kenneth Chang, neuroscientists, have shown that the women’s brain is about 10 percent smaller than the male’s, on average, even after accounting for women’s comparatively smaller body size. Three brain differences that affect ones behavior are the limbic size, the corpus collosum size, and the amount of gray and white matter.