Fundamentals of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience

An exciting introduction to the scientific interface between biological studies of the brain and behavioural studies of human development. The authors trace the field from its roots in developmental psychology and neuroscience, and highlight some of the most persuasive research findings before anticipating future directions the field may take. They begin with a brief orientation of the brain, along with genetics and epigenetics, and then summarise brain development and plasticity. Later chapters detail the neurodevelopmental basis of a wide variety of human competencies, including perception, language comprehension, socioemotional development, memory systems, literacy and numeracy, and self-regulation. Suitable for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in developmental cognition or neuroscience, this textbook covers the prenatal period through to infancy, childhood, and adolescence. It is pedagogically rich, featuring interviews with leading researchers, learning objectives, review questions, further-reading recommendations, and numerous colour figures. Instructor teaching is supported by lecture slides and a test bank.

Author Biography

Heather Bortfeld is Professor of Psychological Sciences and Cognitive and Information Sciences at the University of California, Merced. She has been a pioneer in the development of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) as a tool for measuring changes in brain activity in infants and toddlers as they engage with the world around them. She is currently the Emmett, Bernice, and Carlston Cunningham Endowed Chair in Cognitive Development at UC Merced, and an elected Fellow of the Association for Psychological Sciences. Silvia A. Bunge is a Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and directs the Building Blocks of Cognition Laboratory, which draws from the fields of cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychology, and education research. She studies the development of higher-level cognitive abilities, how they are shaped by experience, and how they support academic success. She is an elected Fellow of the Association for Psychological Sciences and the recipient of a Jacobs Foundation Advanced Career Research Fellowship and an Alexander von Humboldt Research Award.