Development of the adolescent brain: implications for executive function and social cognition

Abstract

The brain has evolved to understand and interact with other people. This talk focuses on how the social brain (the network of brain regions involved in understanding others) develops during adolescence. Adolescence is defined as the period of life between the onset of puberty and adult independence and is a unique period of biological, psychological and social development. Social cognitive processes involved in navigating an increasingly complex social world continue to develop throughout human adolescence. Areas of the social brain undergo significant reorganisation in terms of structure and function during the second decade of life, which possibly reflects a sensitive period for adapting to the social environment. The changes in social environment that occur during adolescence interact with increasing executive functions, heightened social sensitivity and the developing social brain to influence a number of adolescent behaviours, including risk-taking, peer influence and self-consciousness. This research suggests that adolescence represents a sensitive period of social brain development. Underlying the negative stereotype about adolescence is the assumption that adolescent-typical behaviours such as risk-taking, impulsivity and self-preoccupation are maladaptive and irrational. However, these behaviours can be viewed as adaptive and rational in the context of a key developmental goal of this period of life, that is, to mature into an independent adult. During adolescence, young people need to become independent adults by developing a more complete sense of self identity at the same time as they build stronger affiliations with their peer group in the context of a social world that is unstable and changing and when their social networks start out chaotic and only gradually become refined and reciprocated. Instead of considering adolescence a period of heightened risk-taking per se, a more complete understanding of adolescent-typical behaviours might benefit from a shift in focus to the social context in which risk-taking often occurs.