The Great Mystery: REM Sleep
During REM sleep eye movement and brainwaves are very active, but everything else seems paralyzed. Even the thermoregulatory system does not work during REM sleep. Newborn infants sleep about 16 hours a day, half of whic..
The Great Mystery: Stages of Sleep
Sleep and dream research is part of the scientific study of consciousness. Both the body and brain are quite active during sleep. The frequencies and amplitudes of the EEG recorded during sleep reveal two primary types o..
The Great Mystery: What is Consciousness
Six psychologists grapple with the definition of consciousness. Their attempts to explain consciousness range from calling it a state of perceptive awareness to characterizing it as an inner experience that is unique to ..
The Great Mystery: World of Dreams, The
The prefrontal cortex is deactivated during REM sleep so all the cognitive functions are impaired. But the limbic system is turned on so emotions are strong. The most common emotion in dreams is fear, followed by ela..
The Growing Years: Accident Prevention--A Challenge for Parents
Keeping children safe is a challenge for any parent. Children two to four years of age are prone to injuries and accidents so it is important to look for hidden dangers in the home. As children get older they may resist ..
The Growing Years: Brain Development in Infancy
From infancy on, the brain and mind, the neural hardware and cognitive software of an infant develop together. At birth the limbic areas are quite immature, and the cortex is almost entirely underdeveloped. The neurons a..
The Growing Years: Building a Healthy Family Atmosphere
For some families, the concept of family meetings, or even just time together, may be difficult to achieve. Spending quality time together is the most precious gift you can give your children. As children get older, the ..
The Growing Years: Childhood Exercise Falls Victim to Television
Children are not getting as much exercise as they should. One reason is that they spend too much time in front of the television set. Researchers have found that when television viewing is limited, children fill their ti..
The Growing Years: Developing a Sense of Self
By the end of childhood, most children have developed a sense of themselves as individuals, unique and apart from others they know and see. Although the general consensus of researchers is that this sense does not emerge..
The Growing Years: Do Babies Have a Sense of Numbers?
Karen Wynn and a team of researchers at the Yale Infant Cognition Laboratory are conducting experiments related to young babies and their ability to grasp number and mathematics concepts. Using "looking time" as a measur..