An aspect of knowledge or its acquisition that is peculiar to the development of representations within a particular domain. The domain of number needs specific attention being paid to how numerous items happen to be, and specific counting skills have to be acquired. The domain of language needs attention to speech-sounds, and words have to …
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Dopamine
A biogenic amine and catecholamine that serves an inhibitory neurotransmitter initiating and modulating a wide range of actions and brain functions; often depleted or unbalanced in various disorders (e.g., Parkinson’s disease, hyperactivity, and schizophrenia). The two important dopamine-releasing nuclei are the substantial nigra in the basal ganglia and the ventral segmental area (VTA) located at …
Domain (theory of mind)
Area of knowledge structured by a set of principles that have application to a set of distinctive phenomena. The child’s theory of mind comes to apply to the domain of psychology by organizing phenomena of what people say and do according to the idea that there are relationships between people’s intentions, beliefs and desires. The …
Domain (interactive)
The theoretical view that although systems of knowledge may be characterized by distinct properties, domains can interact with each other and are connected through a common underlying process. See Domain (non-interactive), Domain specificity, Domain (theory of mind)
Domain (non-interactive)
The theoretical view that qualitatively distinct systems of knowledge exist within self-contained modules that do not interact. Also referred to as domain specificity. The question of whether or not domains of cognition interact during development is a matter of some debate in developmental psychology. See Domain (interactive), Domain specificity, Domain (theory of mind), Tiers
DNA double helix
the helical structure assumed by two strands of deoxyribonucleic acid (nucleotides), which entwine like vines and are held together throughout their length by hydrogen bonds between bases on opposite strands like rungs on a ladder (see figure below). The geometry of the helix can assume one of three slightly different forms. The ‘B’ form, described …
Dizygotic twins
Also called fraternal or non-identical twins, they are a pair of twins created by the fertilization of two eggs or ova by two separate spermatozoa at the same within the same menstrual cycle. In rare cases, it can occur within one menstrual cycle of each other. They can be of the same sex or different …
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
The self-replicating molecule forming the hereditary material as chromosomes in the nuclei of eukaryotes and as strands in prokaryotes. It is a nucleic acid made up of two chains or strands of nucleotides composed of deoxyribose sugar and the bases adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine (referred to as ‘nucleobases’). The two strands wind round each …
Divided attention
This notion of attention has two general meanings. Firstly, it refers to any situation in which one has to attend to more than one piece of information at the same time. Laboratory divided-attention tasks based on this definition include dual-task situations, multiple-target detection and visual search. Secondly, it only concerns situations in which one has …
Dissipative system
In irreversible thermodynamics, it is a non-linear system capable of assimilating large reserves of energy from the environment and converting them into increasing structural complexity, thus maintaining its integrity while it is far-from-equilibrium. Existing in a far-from-equilibrium state, such a thermodynamically open system shows spontaneous internal fluctuations that can be amplified to the point that …