Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 27, 2025

Author Spotlight: Understanding Adolescent Social Adversity Effects on Neurodevelopment in Mice
Published on: March 15, 2024
Neural Underpinnings of Social Contextual Influences on Adolescent Risk-Taking
Seh-Joo Kwon1, Caitlin C Turpyn1, Natasha Duell1
1University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Purpose Of Review:
Adolescence is a developmental period often characterized by heightened risk taking and increased sensitivity to socially salient stimuli. In this report, we discuss how the developing brain serves as both a link between, and a susceptibility factor for, social contextual factors and risk taking in adolescence.
Recent Findings:
Neural activity in regions related to affective processing, cognitive control, and social cognition, which continue to develop across the adolescent years, shape the relationship between adolescents' social environment and their risk taking.
Summary:
Examining neural patterns of adolescent brain development enriches our understanding of how adolescents' complex social environment modulates their risk-taking behavior, which may have implications for adolescents' current and future substance use.
Related Concept Videos
Social Cognitive Perspective on Personality
Cognitive Development During Adolescence
Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth....
Erikson's Theory on Socioemotional Development during Adolescence
Social Scripts
Antisocial Personality Disorder
Behavioral Characteristics and...

