Prefrontal Maturation In Adolescence

The gap between more matured subcortical limbic regions and less matured prefrontal cortex is a potential reason accounting for cultural difference in adolescent risky behaviors. Forbes and Dahl (2010) hypothesize that pubertal maturation is associated with the activation of social and motivational tendencies. It is possible that difference in motivational beliefs between independent and dependent cultures can also affect the maturation of subcortical limbic regions and prefrontal cortex. Wang and Pomerantz (2009) reported that American children valued academics less over the 7th and 8th grades, with declines in their motivational behavior as well. During the same period, Chinese children continued to value academics, sustaining their motivational behavior. …show more content…
Motivational development may have an effect on brain development, but there still lacks evidence for this hypothesis. Another possible explanation is that committing a risky behavior itself may provide enough extra incentive to overcome the long-term expectation due to the loss aversion principle. In western culture, adolescence are expected to grow up and be more independent. While being more independent means having more freedom, it also means being more responsible for themselves. Before adolescent years, parents will be responsible to make up almost all the mistakes a child made. Entering adolescent years, they will be more likely to be punished directly by their own mistakes, which means they have to face a lower mistake tolerance rate. As a result, adolescents are expected to follow different kinds of social rules and so be restricted by those rules. In one way, they will have more freedom to make decisions; in another way, they will have less freedom to be irresponsible and not care about the