Why teens take risks: It's not a deficit in brain development

(Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania) A popular theory in neuroscience proposes that slow development of the prefrontal cortex explains teenagers' seemingly impulsive and risky behavior. But an extensive literature review finds that much of the evidence for that theory misinterprets adolescent exploratory behavior as impulsive and that much of what appears to be impulsivity is behavior that is often guided by the desire to learn about the world.
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news