The article under review in this paper is 'Neurodevelopment: How does the teen brain work?' by Kendall Powell (2006). this article appears to be credible based on the following: although the author is a freelance science writer, his work lead one to believe he knows what he is talking about. In addition, he provides several supportive resources to back up his topics. He has several other articles and writings available on the internet. However, while no educational background is available, he writing experience extends to PLoS, HHMI Bulletins, and the Los Angeles Times to name a few. Powell is associated with Nature Publishing Group (NPG), who publishes scholarly articles for academic and daily life audiences. This particular article was published online August 23,2006 and in Journal on August 24, 2006. Based on the information in the article along with further research, this article appears to follow most current data from 2000 to 2008 and covered facts supported by other resources. this author's point of view appears to be impartial as nowhere in the article does he show or share any bias opinions or thoughts. However, while the article provides extensive information in most topics and or subjects addressed, it was marginally covered and could have provided more in-depth data and information.
The author is attempting to send the message to and educate his readers on the development of an adolescent's brain and that the brain of a teenager is by far more complicated and complex than that of a child and or adult. For example, the brain develops quicker from birth to approximately three years of age when a massive production of nerve cells and synapse connections occur. However, at this point a process known as myelination begins ...
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...cks impulse control. Furthermore, because the teenage brain lacks the cognitive ability to control impulses, he or she seeks rewards from risky behavior, a behavior that will continue until the brain completely develops.
References
Bradley-Ruder, D. (2008). A work in progress: The teen brain. Retrieved November 18, 2011 from http://harvardmagazine.com/2008/09/the-teen-brain.html
Powell, K. (2006). Neurodevelopment: How does the teenage brain work? Retrieved November 14, 2011. Nature 442, 865-867| doi:10.1038/442865a
Spinks, S. (2000). Adolescent brains are a work in progress. Retrieved November 18, 2011 from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/work/adolescent.html
TLC video (2008). A study of the teenage brain. Retrieved November, 19, 2011 from http://videos.howstuffworks.com/tlc/29323-tlc-a-study-of-the-teenage-brain-video.htm
In the essay “What’s Wrong With the Teenage Mind?” psychologist Alison Gopnik explores the issues surrounding young minds in today’s society and why they’re hitting puberty sooner and adulthood later. Gopnik suggest poor diet and lack of exercise could be a potential issues, she also presents various studies blaming brain circuitry and even speculating that the cause of today’s youth problematic mentality could be a result of an “evolutionary feature” in which humans have a prolonged childhood. Gopnik’s main concern about today’s adolescent mind, is a neurological one, Gopnik speculates that there’s an inability to sync their “control system” and their “crucial system”. Gopnik proposes a few solutions to the problem, such as more hands-on experience
Teenagers often act on impulses. Teenagers are still young and in between the adult and tenn stage. This often leaves teenagers emotions and acts to but unpridicatble and to fir them to act on impulse.
...ion Seeking. In V. F. Reyna, S. B. Chapman, M. Dougherty, & J. Confrey (Eds.), The Adolescent Brain Learning, Reasoning, and Decision Making (pp. 379-428). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.
Erikson, E. H. Late adolescence (1959). In S Schlein (Ed.), A way of looking at things (pp.
14, 2002). Riley is currently experiencing physical changes in her body such as developing breast, getting her period, and hormonal fluctuations. Along with these other changes, her prefrontal cortex is still developing. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for decision-making, planning, and impulse control (Micucci, 2012). “The physical changes associated with puberty, in themselves, have little negative impact on the adolescent’s self-image, except in one instance: when adolescents are going through puberty around the same time they are experiencing other changes in life, such as changing schools”(Micucci, p. 18,
As every child grows up in a different environment, not all have a safe one to grow up in and as a result everything that surrounds them becomes apart of the clarity that their mind incorporates and becomes apart of that child 's behavior of way. In terms of brain development children or teens often listen, and see what is around them, it is also said, by researchers of the National Institute of Health, that in recent studies that were made that in teen years massive loss of brain tissue...
As Paul Thompson states in his article Startling Finds on Teenage Brains from the Sacramento Bee, published on May 25, 2001, “.These frontal lobes,which inhibit our violent passions, rash action and regulate our emotions, are vastly immature throughout the teenage years.” He also says that “The loss[of brain tissue] was like a wildfire, and you see it in every teenager.”. This loss of brain tissue plays a role in the erratic behavior of teens, who cannot properly assess their emotions and thoughts. During this period of brain tissue loss, teens are unpredictable, adults do not know what their teen’s next move will be, teens themselves do not even know what their next move will be. As we grow our brains develop, therefore teen brains are not fully developed, so they cannot be held to the same standards as adults.
In a Ted Talk video by Adriana Galván “The teenage brain is really good at seeking out new experiences enjoying thrills and seeking out thrills.” That is because of the prefrontal cortex it is the part of the brain made for decision making and impulse control, because of that teens are more likely to seek out thrills than adults or children but that is because their lack of impulse control causes them to be reckless. In a Ted Talk video by Adriana Galván she mentions “that the brain matures and continues to do so” and “Your brain changes everyday and as you sit in this room your brain is reacting to my voice, to the person sitting next to you and your experiences ant the people you affiliate with shape the way your brain ultimately develops.” This means that although it is unsure if the brain keeps developing past the mid twenties it is a known fact that the brain constantly reacts and changes to the environment around it, which is completely different from the original belief of it over a decade ago. One example of the brains constant changes is in Romeo and Juliet when Friar Lawrence says “Holy Saint Francis, what a change is here! Is Rosaline, whom thou didst love so dear, So soon forsaken? Young men’s love then lies Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes” (Act 2 Scene 2). Showing how
Further research indicates that a person's intellectual capacity is at its greatest during these years. So much so that it could be compared to that of a full grown adult. The brain acts as a sponge soaking up all the information around it, learning as much as it can. “Adolescents and adults seem to engage different parts of their brain to different extents…” Thought the intellectual ability of a teen can match that of an adult does not mean that they think and interpret things the same. While performing tasks such as solving different problems and test, studies show that, when compared side by side, teens use different parts of the brain to different extents then the adult. This is due to the fact that the brain is still “Under Construction”. Therefore teen must use different parts of the brain for the same task as not all aspects of the brain are ready to handle some tasks, causing different results in different emotional and behavioral responses. This indicates the teen brain is still maturing
One of the most complicated puzzles that have faced our society and you, the parents, is that of the teenage brain. The reason that this has been stumping our heads is because this puzzle isn’t even complete. The adolescent brain is developed from back to front creating many complications for their decisions. This both helps and damages us. With this ability, we have an easier ability to learn new things, easier time adapting to our environment, and we seek new thrilling experiences. The ways this hinders us is that we have bad decision making, emotions controlling our decisions, sensitivity to social and emotional information, and the seeking of immediate rewards. Although a teenager’s brain is not fully
Bee, H. and Boyd, D. (2001). Physical and cognitive development in adolescence. Lifespan Development. 3ed., 292-293.
It has been found that juvenile brains are not yet fully developed. The parts of the brain specifically still changing during the teen years include the brain circuitry involved in emotional responses and impulsive responses. Teen emotional reactions are intense and urgent (National Institute
During adolescence emotional reactivity is heightened, and the social environment is changing as adolescents spend more time with their peers than adults (Casey, 2008). To an adolescent, the value of positive information, as well as negative information may be exaggerated which leads to greater emotional reactivity and sensitivity during this growth period (Casey, 2008). This can heighten the incidence of addiction and the onset of psychological disorders (Casey, 2008). There are various theories that attempt to explain why adolescents engage in risky behaviour. One of these theories by Yurgelun-Todd stems from human adolescent brain development, and proposes that cognitive development during the adolescent period is associated with increasingly superior efficiency of cognitive control and affective modulation (Casey, 2008). This theory also suggest...
Shaffer, D., Kipp, K., Wood, E., & Willoughby, T. (2010). Developmental psychology childhood and adolescence. (3rd ed.). USA: Thomson Wadsworth
New Releases. (n.d.). The adolescent brain: Beyond raging hormones. Retrieved November 30, 2013, from http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog-extra/the-adolescent-brain-beyond-raging-hormones