Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Revisionist Views of Adolescent and Adult Cognition01:24

Revisionist Views of Adolescent and Adult Cognition

A revisionist approach to Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development has brought new insights that challenge and reinterpret his established ideas. Piaget proposed that the formal operational stage, emerging in adolescence, represents the culmination of cognitive maturity. During this stage, individuals are said to develop abstract thinking, engage in systematic problem-solving, and show a form of egocentrism, believing others are as preoccupied with their behavior as they are themselves.
Cognitive Development During Adolescence01:18

Cognitive Development During Adolescence

During adolescence, individuals experience significant cognitive development that enhances their understanding of others' emotions and thoughts, known as cognitive empathy. This period is marked by an increased ability to adapt to others' perspectives and a more nuanced understanding of others' mental states, a skill that is foundational for social problem-solving and conflict avoidance. The development of cognitive empathy relies heavily on the theory of mind — the recognition that people have...
Piaget's Stage 4 of Cognitive Development01:19

Piaget's Stage 4 of Cognitive Development

The formal operational stage, as described in Piaget's cognitive development theory, begins around age 11 and extends into adulthood. It marks the emergence of advanced cognitive abilities that differentiate adolescent and adult thinking from those of younger children. This stage is characterized by abstract reasoning, hypothetical-deductive reasoning, and a more complex understanding of self and others.
Abstract Reasoning and Hypothetical-Deductive Thinking
Unlike the concrete operational...
Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory01:14

Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory

The cerebellum, while traditionally associated with motor control, also plays a crucial role in memory, particularly in procedural memory, which involves learning motor tasks that become automatic through repetition. For example, studies have shown that when the cerebellum is damaged, individuals or animals lose the ability to learn conditioned motor responses, such as the conditioned eye-blink response in classical conditioning experiments with rabbits. This study demonstrates the cerebellum's...
Cognitive Development During Adulthood01:30

Cognitive Development During Adulthood

Cognitive development continues throughout adulthood, undergoing significant shifts across early, middle, and late stages. Individual transition occurs from adolescent idealism to pragmatic and adaptable thinking in early adulthood. During this period, individuals learn to integrate personal beliefs with the recognition that other perspectives are equally valid. Exposure to the complexities of modern society, diverse experiences, and higher education contribute to this adaptive thought process,...
Information Processing Approach01:30

Information Processing Approach

The information-processing theory of cognitive development centers on fundamental mental processes, including attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. Researchers in this field examine how cognitive abilities, such as working memory, evolve and influence children's overall development. Studies indicate that children with stronger working memory tend to excel in reading comprehension, math, and problem-solving compared to peers with less efficient memory skills. Low working memory is also...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Neural responses to equity and inequity when receiving vicarious rewards for self and charity during adolescence.

NeuroImage·2026
Same author

Intentions poorly explain how and why people engage in offensive and defensive forms of violence.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Youth Perspectives on the Climate Crisis: Motivation and Action Pathways.

Developmental science·2026
Same author

Neural variability across the transition to motherhood: Enhanced moment-to-moment neural variability during mentalizing in first-time mothers.

Journal of neuroendocrinology·2026
Same author

Mood trajectories showing resilience and recovery in young people during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Scientific reports·2026
Same author

How defense rhetoric escalates intergroup conflict.

iScience·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 11, 2026

A Method for Investigating Age-related Differences in the Functional Connectivity of Cognitive Control Networks Associated with Dimensional Change Card Sort Performance
09:01

A Method for Investigating Age-related Differences in the Functional Connectivity of Cognitive Control Networks Associated with Dimensional Change Card Sort Performance

Published on: May 7, 2014

Prefrontal cortex involvement in creative problem solving in middle adolescence and adulthood.

Sietske W Kleibeuker1, P Cédric M P Koolschijn, Dietsje D Jolles

  • 1Institute of psychology, Brain and Development Laboratory, Leiden University, Pieter de la Court Gebouw, P.O. Box 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands. kleibeukersw@fsw.leidenuniv.nl

Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
|April 30, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Middle adolescence may be a peak period for creative cognition, with adolescents showing enhanced problem-solving skills and greater prefrontal cortex activity compared to adults. This suggests adolescent brain development supports creative exploration.

More Related Videos

Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression
08:42

Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression

Published on: May 19, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 11, 2026

A Method for Investigating Age-related Differences in the Functional Connectivity of Cognitive Control Networks Associated with Dimensional Change Card Sort Performance
09:01

A Method for Investigating Age-related Differences in the Functional Connectivity of Cognitive Control Networks Associated with Dimensional Change Card Sort Performance

Published on: May 7, 2014

Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression
08:42

Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression

Published on: May 19, 2015

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology

Background:

  • Creative cognition, the generation of novel and appropriate ideas, is crucial for adaptation.
  • Adolescence involves significant developmental changes related to independence and individuality.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if middle adolescence is a more advantageous period for creative cognition than adulthood.
  • To compare behavioral and neural differences in creative problem-solving between adolescents and adults.

Main Methods:

  • Participants: Adolescents (15-17 years) and adults (25-30 years).
  • Tasks: Matchstick Problem Task (MPT) during fMRI scanning and Creative Ability Test (CAT) outside the scanner.
  • Measures: Behavioral performance and neural activation in lateral prefrontal cortex.

Main Results:

  • Overall creative task performances were comparable between groups.
  • Adolescents demonstrated an advantage in creative problem-solving on the MPT.
  • Adolescents exhibited greater activation in the lateral prefrontal cortex (ventral and dorsal) during creative tasks.

Conclusions:

  • Extended lateral prefrontal cortex activation during adolescence may facilitate exploration and enhance creative cognition.
  • Adolescence represents a critical period for the development and expression of creative abilities.
  • Neural correlates of creative problem-solving differ between adolescents and adults.