Puberty Predicts Approach But Not Avoidance on the Iowa Gambling Task in a Multinational Sample

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Adolescent Behavior

Background:

• The dual systems model posits distinct developmental trajectories for sensation seeking and impulse control in adolescents.
• These systems are thought to be governed by separate brain networks, influencing risk-taking behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether distinct underlying processes drive age-related differences in reward approach and cost avoidance.
• To examine the roles of pubertal maturation and chronological age in these decision-making components.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a modified Iowa Gambling Task with a large, multinational, cross-sectional sample of 3,234 adolescents (ages 9-17).
• Analyzed the relationships between pubertal maturation, age, sensation seeking, impulse control, reward approach, and cost avoidance.

Main Results:

• Pubertal maturation, not age, predicted increased reward approach, mediated by higher sensation seeking.
• Chronological age, not pubertal maturation, predicted increased cost avoidance, mediated by greater impulse control.

Conclusions:

• Adolescent decision-making involves at least two interacting systems with independent developmental trajectories.
• Findings support the dual systems model, highlighting separate influences of puberty and age on reward and cost sensitivity.