Neuroconstructivism I

What are the processes, from conception to adulthood, that enable a single cell to grow into a sentient adult? The processes that occur along the way are so complex that any attempt to understand development necessitates a multi-disciplinary approach, integrating data from cognitive studies, computational work, and neuroimaging - an approach till now seldom taken in the study of child development. Neuroconstructivism is a major new 2 volume publication that seeks to redress this balance, presenting an integrative new framework for considering development. In the first volume, the authors review up-to-to date findings from neurobiology, brain imaging, child development, computer and robotic modelling to consider why children's thinking develops the way it does. They propose a new synthesis of development that is based on 5 key principles found to operate at many levels of descriptions. They use these principles to explain what causes a number of key developmental phenomena, including infants' interacting with objects, early social cognitive interactions, and the causes of dyslexia. The "neuroconstructivist" framework also shows how developmental disorders do not arise from selective damage to the normal cognitive system, but instead arise from developmental processes that operate under atypical constraints. How these principles work is illustrated in several case studies ranging from perceptual to social and reading development. Finally, the authors use neuroimaging, behavioural analyses, computational simulations and robotic models to provide a way of understanding the mechanisms and processes that cause development to occur.

What are the processes, from conception to adulthood, that enable a single cell to grow into a sentient adult? This work sets out a whole new framework for considering the complex topic of development, integrating data from cognitive studies, computational work, and neuroimaging.

What are the processes, from conception to adulthood, that enable a single cell to grow into a sentient adult? This work sets out a whole new framework for considering the complex topic of development, integrating data from cognitive studies computational work, and neuroimaging.

Challenges the conventional view of a “disenchanted” and secular modernity, and recovers the complex relation that exists between science, religion, and esotericism in the modern world. Max Weber famously characterized the ongoing process of intellectualization and rationalization that separates the natural world from the divine (by excluding magic and value from the realm of science, and reason and fact from the realm of religion) as the “disenchantment of the world.” Egil Asprem argues for a conceptual shift in how we view this key narrative of modernity. Instead of a sociohistorical process of disenchantment that produces increasingly rational minds, Asprem maintains that the continued presence of “magic” and “enchantment” in people’s everyday experience of the world created an intellectual problem for those few who were socialized to believe that nature should contain no such incalculable mysteries. Drawing on a wide range of early twentieth-century primary sources from theoretical physics, occultism, embryology, radioactivity, psychical research, and other fields, Asprem casts the intellectual life of high modernity as a synchronic struggle across conspicuously different fields that shared surprisingly similar intellectual problems about value, meaning, and the limits of knowledge. Egil Asprem is Associate Professor of History of Religions at the Department of Ethnology, History of Religions, and Gender Studies, Stockholm University, and the author of Arguing with Angels: Enochian Magic and Modern Occulture, also published by SUNY Press.

A comprehensive reference on external contributing factors in psychopathology Developmental Psychopathology is a four-volume compendium of the most complete and current research on every aspect of the field. Volume Three: Risk, Disorder, and Adaptation explores the everyday effects and behaviors of those with behavioral, mental, or neurological disorders, and the disorder's real-world impact on their well-being. Now in its third edition, this comprehensive reference has been fully updated to better reflect the current state of the field, and detail the latest findings in causation, intervention, contextual factors, and the risks associated with atypical development. Contributions from expert researchers and clinicians explore the effects of abuse and traumatic stress, memory development, emotion regulation, impulsivity, and more, with chapters specifically targeted toward autism, schizophrenia, narcissism, antisocial behavior, bipolar disorder, and borderline personality disorder. Advances in developmental psychopathology have burgeoned since the 2006 publication of the second edition, and keeping up on the latest findings in multiple avenues of investigation can be burdensome to the busy professional. This series solves the problem by collecting the information into one place, with a logical organization designed for easy reference. Learn how childhood experiences contribute to psychopathology Explore the relationship between atypical development and substance abuse Consider the impact or absence of other developmental traits Understand the full risk potential of any behavioral or mental disorder The complexity of a field as diverse as developmental psychopathology deepens with each emerging theory, especially with consideration of the multiple external factors that have major effects on a person's mental and emotional development. Developmental Psychopathology Volume Three: Risk, Disorder, and Adaptation compiles the latest information into a cohesive, broad-reaching reference with the most recent findings.

This book presents a comparative review of the latest studies and data on prelinguistic communication and early semantic development in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Williams syndrome (WMS), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and early language delay. Papaeliou offers a critical analysis of the literature, compares key theoretical approaches, and interprets data on development in atypical populations. A fruitful synthesis of theory and research reveals that, instead of cognitive deficits, the core feature of these neurodevelopmental disorders consists of deficits in the ability for self- and intersubjective coordination, which adversely affects early interactions and, consequently, the emergence of language. The book composes fragmentary proposals on the role of rhythm disruptions in different conditions, setting out the idea that disruption in interactional synchrony is a connecting thread through neurodevelopmental disorders which show high prevalence or high comorbidity rates. Papaeliou identifies distinct communicative patterns characteristic of each disorder and puts forward a unifying theory for interpreting data on early communication and language development in atypical populations. This is ideal reading for psychologists, psycholinguists, psychiatrists, paediatricians, speech therapists, and special educators. Students in developmental psychology and anyone interested in understanding the research behind typical and atypical development will also benefit from this text.

This volume presents cutting-edge theory and research on emotions as constructed events rather than fixed, essential entities. It provides a thorough introduction to the assumptions, hypotheses, and scientific methods that embody psychological constructionist approaches. Leading scholars examine the neurobiological, cognitive/perceptual, and social processes that give rise to the experiences Western cultures call sadness, anger, fear, and so on. The book explores such compelling questions as how the brain creates emotional experiences, whether the "ingredients" of emotions also give rise to other mental states, and how to define what is or is not an emotion. Introductory and concluding chapters by the editors identify key themes and controversies and compare psychological construction to other theories of emotion.

Evolutionary Research in Archaeology seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of contemporary evolutionary research in archaeology. The book will provide a single source for introduction and overview of basic and advanced evolutionary concepts and research programs in archaeology. Content will be organized around four areas of critical research including microevolutionary and macroevolutionary process, human ecology studies (evolutionary ecology, demography, and niche construction), and evolutionary cognitive archaeology. Authors of individual chapters will address theoretical foundations, history of research, contemporary contributions and debates, and implications for the future for their respective topics. As appropriate, authors present or discuss short empirical case studies to illustrate key arguments. ​