Visual Perception and Early Brain Development, Essay Example

Discuss how you learned most as a child applyingOne of the theories of learning. Share why it worked for you.

My learning abilities and aptitude as a child was simply superb. Maybe it could be said that it was bordering on giftedness. Recalling was my greatest skill. At one time the church where my parents attended consisted of a few elderly members. During the mid-week prayer meeting services these elders they seldom remembered the hymn numbers in the church hymnal to be used. More importantly, they were seldom prepared for the services. My memory was of such that it was easy for me to help them with the hymn numbers without using the index. The secret to that was sitting during my free time and going through the book, making a mental note of the familiar hymns, which resonated with me.

This pattern of learning could be linked toAtkinson–Shiffrin memory model. The precise assumptions are the human memory comprises of three sections. First there is the sensory register whereby information enters that part of the brain/personality. Next is the working or short term memory when the brain receives and hold information for the long term as well as sensory. Thirdly, is the long term store whereby information received in stored indefinitely(Sirotin, Kimball &Kahana, 2005)?

In my adjacent school life this memory pattern of learning worked, especially, in learning letters of the alphabet, tables and stories. It can be concluded that my sensory, short term as well as long term memory patterns were fully developed because as an older person many of those hymn number can still be recalled.

Discuss how the development of sight and sound perceptualAbilities relate to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution

Sight is developed when the lens of the eyes begin to focus on an object because the brain recognizes it. This focus is reflected on to a light sensitive membrane found at the back of the eye known as the retina. However, vison and how infants begin seeing are learned behavior since infants do not interpret what they seen soon after birth. The same can be said of sound. While a child hears they do not understand what it is until he/she is taught the information from parents or in a classroom setting. Charles Darwin argues that over time the human species changed to accommodate sight and sound.

Sound perception as vison are all historical advancements of life itself termed evolution. If Darwin’s theory of life beginning in the water is true, then vison did not emerge until after sound. The brain plays a very important role in visual perception. Therefore, if any scientist is to take Darwin literally, vision development in humans had to occur later during the evolution process. Scientists have subsequently discovered that there is no single part of the brain responsible for all vison features, but as the brain grew and took on distinct functions more complex elements pertaining to vison emerged. These include color, distances and sensitivity. Just as how evolution was gradual so is visual perception a gradual process in infants as they grow up into adults. More importantly the evolution theory highly suggests that the human species had to evolve into becoming proficient in sight and sound perceptions ( Farron, & Menon, 2008).

References

Farron, T., & Menon, E. (2008).Visual Perception and Early Brain Development.Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development

Sirotin, B. Kimball, R., &Kahana, J. (2005). Going beyond a single list: Modeling the effects of prior experience on episodic free recall. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review 12 (5): 787–805.