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 …show more content…
Whereas, all bodily functions depends on the neurotransmissions of the nerve cells and synapse connections, when these cells and connections die, removal is the only option to assure the functions such as memory and cognition continue. The frontal cortex is responsible for cognitive functions such as planning, action execution, and impulse control. By the time a child reaches the age of puberty his or her brain resembles an adult brain in context of weight, size, areas of the brain specific to certain functions, and folding. However, the development of the brain is incomplete (Powell, 2006).
Although, the brain of a teenager resembles and even acts like an adult brain, the one difference is that a teenage brain lacks cognitive maturity (Powell, 2006). During the teenage years, as nerve cells fight to survive, synapse connections become rewired and upgraded to other parts of the brain creating more complexity in the teenage brain. Studies show that teenagers tend to overuse the frontal cortex because they have trouble stopping impulsive reaction. Therefore, additional studies involving probing the teenage brain reveals at these times of frontal cortex overuse, a considerable amount of reconstruction is taking place. Furthermore, these reconstructions take place before other factors such as hormones, peer pressure, or unexplained rebellion come into play, affecting the teenager's ability to make decisions or control
Researchers can look at the brain of a teen to examine their behavioral decisions.Teenage brains these years are more active and dynamic which means it’s still developing.Processing in the Limbic system is a result of risky behavior.The construction of a teenage thinking brain is not cable of fully processing necessary to make responsible decisions.At this stage the brain is still developing.The brain changes depending on interactions, helpimg the teen make changes. At this time the brain will need focused and support for a healthy connection.Surrounding impacts the child faces such as challenging situations is an effective technique.Parents need to consider the teens emotional
In the article, “Startling Finds on Teenage Brains” (May 25, 2001), by Paul Thompson, the author argues that teenagers should not be legally treated as adults because their brains are not fully developed. First Thompson raises a question whether teenagers should be tried as adults after the trial of fourteen-year-old Nathaniel Brazill who is charged with second-degree murder for the shooting of his middle school teacher. Following up the numerous questions from reporters and teen advocates, Thompson informs the audience about the loss brain tissue in teenage brains and its correlation to the teenagers’ violent tendencies. After elaborating that teenagers need the correct guidance to steer their development onto the right path, he concludes
The article “Inside the Teen Brain’ by Marty Wolner, states that the human brain provides parents with shocking new evidence to possibly explain the sometimes irrational, illogical, and impulsive behavior of teenagers. Teenage years are radically more active and dynamic than they previously thought. So teenagers are left with most of the information reaching their brains being processed in the emotional part (limbic system). Information processed in the limbic system without benefit increases the processing in the prefrontal cortex. It may result in impulsive, egocentric, and maybe even risky behavior choices. The prefrontal cortex of the teenage brain does not excuse inappropriate or irresponsible behavior from the teen. The brain is not yet
David Dobbs in the Article “Beautiful Brains” proves the theme that it takes teenage brains longer to mature due to the recent change in impulsivity and adolescent behaviors.
The first article that was discussed in class was Startling Finds on Teenage Brains (Paul Thompson) this article has strong ethos. Thompson belives that the teeneagers that have commited crime, for example on May 16 fourteen year old Brazil was charged in May because he shot a middle school teacher. Brazil was found guilty of second-degree murder. Thompson claims that the teenage brain isn't fully developed at a young age, because of this many teens are making reckless choices. The author Paul Thompson claims “my own research group at the university of California, Los Angeles, and our colleagues at the national institutes of health have developed technology to map the patterns of brain growth in individual children and teenagers. With repeated
The prefrontal cortex, which is the anterior part of the frontal lobes, controls understanding consequences, impulse control, abstract thinking, long range planning, and mental flexibility (Ortiz 93-94). Researchers at UCLA, Harvard Medical School, and the National Institute of Health have been working together to understand brain development. Their research has shown that at a young age the brain overproduces gray matter, which is the overall thinking part of the brain. After this comes the pruning process in which gray matter is removed. Paul Thompson from UCLA describes this time as a "massive loss of brain tissue" (as quoted in Ortiz 94). The average amount of tissue lost per year is one to two percent (Ortiz 94). While this pruning process is taking place the myelination is occurring simultaneously. Myelination is when white matter, what insulates the brain, makes brain process more efficient. This process is also thought to shape brains neural connections for adulthood (Ortiz 95). With age, the brain becomes denser and more organized which makes it better at processing and understanding information. Changes in the brain also can happen late into the twenty's (Beckman 3). A member of the UCLA research team reported that "[The] frontal lobe undergoes the most change during adolescence-by far. It is also the last part of the brain development" (as quoted in Ortiz 94). For most, full brain development is reached during the ages
What do you think when you hear the word “teenager”? Most people think of teenagers as pugnacious and restless human beings. Their rebellious and rambunctious behavior usually leads people to believe this. Teens tend to participate in jeopardous activities such as dangerous driving, binge-drinking, or fighting that could land them in serious trouble, the ER or the police station. Although engaging in these exercises is strongly frowned upon, some studies show that most of these actions cannot be controlled. Adolescents are drawn to risky acts due to specific messengers in the brain, peer pressure and their odd methods of apprehending the outcomes of a situation.
On this article talks about how a study found the massive lack of tissues that occurs as we grow up. Thompson explains the develop of the brain and how it damages the teenager, which at some points it can affect the decision and growth of the youth. The reason why I will use this article is because it explains how psychology and mentally the teenager does things without them knowing why.
According to, The Teen Brain Still Under Construction,”In terms of the sheer intellectual power, the brain of an adolescent is a match for an adult”. In essence, the brains of fledgling children match the perceptive capability of an adult. Based on statistics, 72% of parents accede with endorsing their child to initiate their future outcome. Through over dependance on their parents, teens cannot manage by themselves, therefore making their adult lives problematic. Guardians must acknowledge that their youngsters need to scrutinize the world in their own perspective in order to be conscious on the way the whole shebang works.
The author of the article states that there is no better time than now to review how we are raising teenagers for many reasons. First and foremost there have been many strides taken recently to understand how the adolescent brain develops, strengthening ones understanding, and in turn, shedding light on errors made in the way adolescents are being raised in relation to their neuro-development. This means that because scientists have learned substantial information about the brain recently, it is important to reevaluate how parents are raising teenagers now more than ever. Second, according to the article it is a good time to review how we are raising teenagers because children are becoming adolescents earlier based on their physical maturation increasing faster each year, therefore it is important to examine why this is occurring. Finally, the author states that there is no better time to review how we are raising teenagers because of the recent discovery that the brain is malleable during adolescence due to neuroplasticity, meaning that the brain is able to be transformed during this time period solely based on the environment in which these individuals are exposed to, as per the article (Steinberg, 2014).
Although the teenage brain is not as developed as an adult brain, the adult brain loses more than it is able to take in. According to the article, "The Teen Brain: It's Just Not Grown Up Yet", it states that it takes longer for teens to access their frontal lobe than it takes for adults to access their frontal lobe. The teenage frontal lobe is not as developed as the adult frontal lobe which is already connected and developed. The reason teenagers are one of the most stereotyped people, is because they do not use common sense at times which can lead to no good. Stereotypical adults say, "Teens don't control their impulses as well as adults.", this stereotype is not true for most teens or else every teen would be reckless and susceptible. Most kids grasp things very quickly and get the hang of what they are doing almost immediately after they are taught if they put their mind to it. Throughout the stages of life the brain progressively grows as a young person and constantly learns more and starts to slow down as you slowly
The article “Inside the Teenage Brain” by Marty Wolner states that recently, brain researchers have been able to do a great quantity of detailed studies on the human brain. Despite previous thoughts about the teenage brain, development of the brain through the teenage years is very dynamic. The teenage brain is still learning how to process certain information properly in the thinking part of the brain, so often teens may not process all the information necessary to make responsible decisions. Nevertheless, the teenage years can be very stressful for both parents and for teens. Getting through the teenage years can be difficult, but with the right amount of healthy communication, discipline and support the road ahead won’t be so rough. At this
Researchers have found the connection between emotional development and cognitive control system in the brain is a result of underdevelopment of the adolescent brain. According to Bessant (2008), immature adolescent brain may be responsible for much of the risky behavior that young people engage in, with little or no thought prior to making decisions. Presenting Issues Hunter is 14 years old, and now a freshman in high school. Hunter’s social group in school with his peers is very small. Carol, his mother is quite concerned because hunter is not completing his homework assignments, skipping classes, and his grades are dropping.
When one compares the structure of the adult brain and the teenage brain, there will be several differences between the two. Adults have stronger connections from one nerve cell to another, and they all have essential communication skills. However, teenagers have more synapses and have weaker nerve connections. Also, their frontal lobes aren 't fully developed. This causes adolescence to have impulsive behavior and they typically do not recognize consequences in a situation. In the early twenties the brain becomes fully developed, so people are very good at making decision and they are able to think abstractly. There are many factors that contribute to the construction of the brain; some things help the brain develop normally, other things interrupt the process. There is a substantial amount of distinctions between the adult brain and the adolescent brain, and these includes behavioral and structural differences.
The purpose of this issue paper is to compare and contrast two different articles one written by L.E. Berk in 2010 that explores lifespan development. The other article was written by the staff and research team at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford in 2012 that addresses what cognitive development is and the progress of adolescence cognitive development. Cognitive development begins from the moment of birth and continues throughout life. However, this student finds the cognitive abilities are more complex during the adolescent years. Therefore, the issue this paper will address is adolescence cognitive development.