Annenberg Public Policy Center research director Dan Romer published an article in The Conversation explaining what’s wrong with the stereotype of the “wild teenage brain.” In the piece, Romer summarizes a recent literature review on adolescent risk-taking and brain development published in the journal Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience and authored by Romer, Valerie F. Reyna, and Theodore D. Satterthwaite.
The findings suggest that, counter to the stereotype of teen behavior resulting from an “out-of-control brain,” risky behavior “is a normal part of development and reflects a biologically driven need for exploration.” In his piece in The Conversation, titled “Why it’s time to lay the stereotype of the ‘teen brain’ to rest,” Romer notes that this exploration gives teens opportunities to gain needed experience and helps to prepare them for “complex decisions they will need to make as adults.”
Click here to read the full article from The Conversation.
