Hyper-Responsive Theory

This article went into depth about executive function, also known as cognitive control, which refers to top-down processes that develop at a very high rate during pre-school years but can still be practiced in later years for increased neural function. The executive function can still be improved by practice in later years, such as adolescence, due to the plasticity of the brain. The plasticity of the brain is truly intriguing, and this article made me realize that our brain has multiple periods of malleability or “sensitive periods”. The highest period of malleability seems to be during pre-school because the children’s executive function is in demand during this transition to school. A study in the article depicted how individual variances …show more content…
In class, we talked about two contrasting theories—the hypo-responsive and hyper-responsive—which describe how brain changes during adolescence might relate to risky behavior. The hypo-responsive theory states that teens need more stimulation to achieve the same level of satisfaction, whereas the hyper-responsive theory states that adolescent brain has a greater need for reward, which leads to more reward-seeking behavior. Both these theories state very broad reasons as to why brain changes during adolescence relate to risky behavior; not going into detail what parts of the brain “stimulations” occur or where a “great need for reward” comes from. That is where the article I read really pulls these ideas together and connects well with the theories discussed in class. The hot executive function—top-down processes dealing with emotional and motivational situations-- is late to develop in adolescence and can explain why children relate to risky behavior. It can be difficult for children to face new interpersonal challenges, and when they are not able to think through the negative consequences of their behaviors it becomes apparent that the cognitive control is not there yet. The right ventrolateral pre-frontal cortex is the main factor that controls the hot and cold executive function, and its plasticity and malleability are incredulous. Even though children do not have full development of the hot executive function at a young age, the plasticity of the brain allows for a boost in the executive function prior to the onset of school that may initiate the “sensitive period” discussed in class. This initiation of the sensitive period deals with the fact that not only does gray matter peak during adolescence but so does the rate at which executive function develops. In my opinion, it seems that if children are pushed cognitively through top-down processing at a young age then the development of the