THE BRIAN

SOURCE ONE: THE TEEN BRAIN

• As recent studies underscore, differences in the prefrontal cortex are responsible...
• For the so-called executive function that underlies planning and voluntary behavior...
• May be one of the most important distinctions between adolescents and adults.
• Psychologists distinguish between two types of behavior control:exogenous and endogenous.
• Exogenous control is reflexive, generated in response to external stimuli.

SOURCE TWO: FACT AND FICTION ABOUT TEEN BRAIN

• At a time when a person is stronger, has higher reasoning capacity, is faster and more resistant
• To disease (cancer or heart disease), there is such an increase of accidental, suicides & homicide
• density of prefrontal gray matter follows a bell shaped curve w/a peak about age 11 for girl, later for boys.
• There is massive brain reorganization between 12-25 yrs old, and shows up as dramatic changes in...
• adolescent brain development.

SOURCE THREE: EBSCOHOST.COM

• There are studies that contradict each other in the areas of structural and functional connectivity that link...
• development of resistance to peer influence to improvements in the coordination of emotion and cognition.
• Research suggests that development does not correspond exactly with adolescence as a separate and distinct..
• category of the ages 10 to 19 years of age.
• the brain is a vulnerable system w/many stresses it's difficult for teens to show self-control compared to adults.