JUDGMENT CALLMATURITY, EMOTIONS, AND THE TEENAGE BRAIN

PRESENTS...

THE LARGEST PART OF THE HUMAN BRAIN, THE CORTEX, IS DIVIDED INTO SEVERAL LOBES WHICH MATURE FROM BACK TO FRONT.

The last lobe to mature is the frontal lobe, which controls judgement and self-control.

When the frontal cortex is not fully matured, making rational and disciplined decisions is much more di�cult.

FULLY DEVELOPED: 25 YEARS OLD

OCCIPITAL LOBE

TEMPORAL LOBE

PARIETAL LOBE

FRONTAL LOBE

DURING TEENAGE ADOLESCENCE, THE BRAIN IS RESHAPED BY THE INFLUX OF HORMONES AND

EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES.

Teens have extra, UNCONNECTED SYNAPSES

in the area where risk-assessment takes place,

which gets in the way of judgement. These synapses

disappear over time, improving rational thinking.

A teenager’s brain is only roughly80% DEVELOPED.

THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX IS ALSO UNDERDEVELOPED, AND IMPROPERLY BALANCED WITH THE REST OF THE EMOTIONAL PART OF THE BRAIN.

THIS IS WHY TEENS ARE MORE SENSITIVE TO…

Peer pressureRisky and impulsive behavior

TEENS ALSO USE LESS OF THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX WHEN READING EMOTION.

and teenage brain, participants were asked to label the expressions of a series of faces. When it came to labeling fear...

WERE CORRECT

OF ADULTS100%

WERE CORRECT

OF TEENS50%

Surprised? Fear?

FearFear

TEEN BRAINADULT BRAIN

Teens used less of the prefrontal region than adults when reading emotions

THIS ALL SUGGESTS THAT THE TEENAGE BRAIN IS NOT AN ADULT BRAIN WITH LESS LIFE EXPERIENCE!

DIFFERENCES IN THE TEENAGE BRAIN

MATURITY IS BIOLOGICAL, NOT JUST PSYCHOLOGICALMATURITY IS BIOLOGICAL, NOT JUST PSYCHOLOGICAL

TEENS

ADULT

An underdeveloped front region means the brain is unable to rationalize or modulate emotional responses like an adult.

Teenagers brains are susceptible to the e�ects of alcohol, sleep deprivation, and sensory overload.

Extra, enlarged synapses mean teenagers absorb information and learn faster, but are also more sensitive to external stress and pressure.

Not all teenagers can correctly read adult facial expressions, which can lead to miscommunication & misrepresentation.

PARENTS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT NO MATTER HOW MATURE THEIR TEEN MAY SEEM, THEY DO NOT HAVE THE SAME UNDERSTANDING OF RISKS AND

CONSEQUENCES AS AN ADULT.

THIS IS WHY...

Teens are FOUR times more likely to get in a car crash than adults.

NINE out of TEN of teens who witness cyberbullying won’t report it.

NINE out of TEN of teens who witness cyberbullying won’t report it.

Nearly TWO-THIRDS of teens believe giving in to peer pressure will help raise their social status.

KEEP THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION OPEN

OFFER SUPPORT AND ADVICE WITHOUT JUDGEMENT

STAY INVOLVED IN THEIR LIVES, AND

KNOW WHO THEY’RE TALKING TO

SET HEALTHY BOUNDARIES AND CLEAR EXPECTATIONS.

Ok!

http://harvardmagazine.com/2008/09/theteenbrain.html

http://teens.lovetoknow.com/Statistics_on_Peer_Pressure

http://www.academic.marist.edu/mwwatch/fall05/science1.htm

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/interviews/todd.html

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/healthmatters/201006/theteenagersbrain

http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/wereonlyhuman/theteenagebrainhowdowemeasurematurity.html

SOURCES

LEARN MORE ABOUT PROTECTING TEENS IN THE DIGITAL AGE AT TEENSAFE.COM