Adolescent Risky Behaviour: A Neurological Exploration

Cynthia Sanchez Article Critique #1 9/22/15 Research has found that adolescents are more likely than adults to engage in risky behavior. Adolescents, or "young adults" are expected to act more mature than children yet expected to more than likely engage in risky behaviors. Our frontal lobe is not fully developed until our mid 20 's, sometimes late 30 's which could explain the maturity levels at a given age. By mid-teens, kids should be able to fully distinguish between right and wrong. They should also know how to control themselves and know how to behave in a given situation or surrounding. Could it explain why adolescents are let off the hook easily in hopes

Risk taking was measured by playing a video game called chicken. It allowed the participants to make actual decisions in a risky situation. In the conditioned group, the participants would complete "chicken" at the same time and would be able to communicate with each other. The other groups were separated by placing one of the participants into a room while he/she completed the game while the other two waited outside. Risk preference was measured by five risky scenarios that the participants had to choose from. Again, one of the groups were able to discuss among themselves while the other group had to choose from the risks individually. Finally, risky decision making was measured again by 5 risky scenarios only this time the scenarios included consequences that may result from the given the

We can conclude that the individual can evaluate and rationalize the consequences rather than be pressured by fellow peers. The effects of peer presence on risk taking and risky decision varied with age. In fact, the studies showed the groups that were able to talk among themselves rather than the ones who worked individually, were more prone to engage in risky behavior and risky decision making. The effects were more obvious during adolescence. These findings suggest that adolescents are in fact more prone to engage in risky behaviors while under the influence of their peers.

Strengths for this study was the ability to control for the effects of peer pressure on the participants, the authors allowed the adults and youths to choose their peers while the adolescent peers were chosen for them. The adults and youths ' self-chosen groups allowed the experiment to produce a more generalized effect. Another strength was using the "Chicken" game to measure risk taking and having the groups communicate with each other. The players were able to choose for themselves the amount of risk they were willing to take by crossing the intersection during a yellow