Risk Taking (Chp 9)

Prevention

(Empirically supported components of) School-based health education Deter risk taking through youth development programs Reduce the risks to which adolescents are exposed...

Explanatory models: Traditional

- "rational" decision-making - risk taking determined by deliberate, quantitative weighing of risks/benefits - focus: perceived control, behavior intention and perceived risks - Do they know the risk? Did they intend to do that?

Adolescents are motivated more by __________ than ________, particularly _________ teens

- immediate rewards - punishment - young

CAVEAT: Adolescents perceive themselves as _____ vulnerable than adults for some behaviors

- more - ex. risk of lung cancer from smoking

Adolescent perception of their own risks compared with those of...

- peers - adults - published estimates

Explanatory models: Newer

- risk-taking determined by experience & willingness (vs. intention)

What are the two paths to risk-taking?

1. reasoned (analytic, cold) 2. reactive (experiential, hot, ex. sex)

reactive path

Adolescents exhibit heightened sensitivity to novel/exciting experiences, especially young (male) teens

Risk Perception - Findings

Adolescents who engage in risky behavior estimate own risk as higher, on average, compared to peers who abstain from risky behavior Across many domains, adults and adolescents evaluate risks similarly (by age 15 or 16) For adolescents, subjective benefits (e.g., fun) more important than costs?!

Peer Influence, cont.

Conformity increases during early adolescence, highest during middle adolescence Changes in the brain implicated Peer opinions more influential than parent for day-to-day matters (e.g., music, clothing style), however... Parents have more influence on long-term issues, basic values

Susceptibility to Peer Influence

Differences by sex, race/ethnicity, parenting, e.g., Girls < boys African American < other groups < Asian American Authoritative (appropriately supportive) parenting < parenting that is less supportive, more controlling (if influence is negative) Individual differences in neural activity also related to susceptibility to peer influence

Dual-Process Approaches

Identify two paths to risk-taking: Reasoned Reactive (based on experience, intuition) ...with differential maturation across adolescence (from heightened reward sensitivity but immature self-regulation)

...akin to "starting the engines with an unskilled driver

Late maturation of the prefrontal cortex (thru the 20s) compared to changes in the limbic system (early adolescence)

The older you get, heightened sensitivity to exciting experiences _____

decreases

Higher-risk teens estimate own risk as ______ compared with low-risk peers

higher

Prefrontal Cortex

important for planning, problem-solving decision-making, control of impulses

There is a general ______ in risk behaviors

increased

There is an _______ functional connectivity between prefrontal cortex & limbic system over adolescence, young adulthood.

increased

For adolescents, subjective benefits (fun) are _________ than costs.

more important

Adolescents are especially likely to take risks in the presence of _______

peers

Limbic System

responsible for processing of emotions, social information, rewards and

Across many domains, adults & adolescents evaluate risks ________

similarly