Environment and Neurochemical Factors Impact BehaviorLinda DuffieldEDU417: Cogni

tive Studies Capstone (DFM1532A)

Instructor: Joanna Savarese-LevineAugust 17, 20151
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2RUNNING HEADER: Behavior1Environment and Neurochemical Factors on BehaviorEnvir

onmental factors affect behavior in children. The one that affects
behavior the worst is bad experiences. Bad experiences increase brain damage
which can lead to aggression, language failure, depression, and other mental
disorders such as asthma, epilepsy, high blood pressure, immune-system
dysfunction, and diabetes.
Bad experiences include stress, poverty, violence, sexual abuse, family
Breakup, neglect, drugs, lack of good stimulation, and too much wrong
stimulation. Many children are raised in violent, abusive environments,
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3over which they have no control. The antidote is giving children a sense
of selfworth and teach them, they are not helpless. Positive action causes
positive
reaction.
The hippocampus keeps track of facts, such as names, addresses,
dates, and events. What makes the hippocampus vulnerable to stress is
it is
rich in stress hormone receptors that are used to reinforce memories.
Excessive stress is like setting off a firecracker in a glass jar.
Major depression can also raise stress hormone levels. Preliminary
evidence indicates that it could be damaging brain cells. (Fischer, K.M.,
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4School environment affects student learning and behavior.

Teachers need to acknowledge the value of each student. Accept the
differences of culture, race, religion, ethnicity, and lifestyle. Help studentsi
dentify and label feelings, moods, of their own and classmates. Discuss
how to manage and control impulses, feel compassion and empathy for
others. Humans do not grow up isolated and are expected to succeed in
society. What would be more important to teach students, than how to get
along with others? (Jensen 2008)
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Everyone needs to feel welcomed and appreciated. The classroom is the

perfect place for learning to respect self and classmates, this gives everyone
a
sense of belonging. Group projects allows each child to explore and show
where
their area of expertise lies. This boost self-confidences and respect for others
and their knowledge.
Other factors that affect behavior in students is neurochemical. When
the
chemical within the brain are not normal; it can cause movement delays,
memory loss, and aggression, to name a few impacts.
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6Dopamine is a brain released chemical that play a number of roles in humansMove

ment, memories, pleasurable reward, behavior and cognition, attention, sleep,
mood, and learning. The basal ganglia regulates movement. Basal ganglia depends
on
certain amount of dopamine to function properly. When there is a deficiency in
dopamine the brain movement may become delayed and uncoordinated.
( DR.Mandal,2015) Brain delay can cause student response to be delayed or forget
fulof class information and assignments.
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7Serotonin helps regulate behavior in the brain. Low brain serotonin

make
communication between specific brain regions of the emotional limbic
system
brain (amygdala) and the frontal lobes weaker compared to those of
normal
levels of serotonin. When serotonin levels are low it may be more
difficult for
the prefrontal cortex to control emotional responses to anger that are
generated within the amygdala. (U of C,2011) Learning is impossible
when
dealing with anger issues. When one person demonstrates anger,
everyone
In the room has to deal with the atmosphere.
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8Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter. One of the chemicals that

neurons
use to communicate with each other. Primary neurotransmitters which
nerves
use to signal muscles to initiate or cease movement. It may promote
learning.
(Myers, C.,2008) Without enough acetylcholine a person would stop
moving; toomuch acetylcholine the body would twitch constantly, either would hin
der
learning and cause uncontrollable behavior.
As I have shown you, children s behavior is controlled by both the home
and
school environment as well as neurochemical balance. Teachers, staff,
parents,
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9Resources:
Fischer, K.W., Immordino-Yang, M. H., (2008) The jossey-bass reader
on
the brain and learning(1st ed) San Francisco, CADr. Mandal, MD (2015)
http://www.news-medical.netMyers, C. (2006) Memoryloss and the brainhttp://www.m
emorylossonline.comUniversity of Cambridge study (Sept. 15,2011)
http://cam.ac.uk
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