Research: Why do adolescents do rash things?
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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There is an opinion that the risky behavior of adolescents is due to craving for excitement at this age and "samples of adulthood." However, studies by scientists from the University of New York, the Yale School of Medicine, and Fordham University say that this is not entirely true.
Apparently, situations that can turn around in different ways, that is, the outcome of which is unclear, adults try to avoid, but they do not frighten adolescents, and sometimes even attract.
Instead of the taste for risk, it is generally assumed that the risky behavior of adolescents is based on their craving for the unknown, to what they do not have a sufficient idea.
The article on the results of research scientists published on the pages of the periodical "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences." It points out the main differences between the behavior of adults and adolescents, and also contains recommendations that will be a clue to communicate with such adolescents.
"Our research shows that the main reason why adolescents can behave risky without worrying about the outcome of their actions may be a lack of awareness of the threat of an action," said lead author of the study Agnieszka Timola, employee of the Center for Neuroscience and Psychology of New- York University.
The study also opens up new opportunities for communicating with children of this age group.
"We found that if a teenager is well aware of the consequences of his actions and actions, he will avoid risky situations in the same way, or even more than an adult," the researchers say. - In the event that a teenager has insufficient information about the level of threat, he risks, but still goes ahead. This is due to biological processes of cognition of the surrounding world - young people are open to new knowledge and are eager to receive them. "
To participate in the study, experts attracted a group of adolescents aged 12-17 years and an adult group of 30-35 years.
The first experiment consisted in that the subjects had to conduct a number of risky financial transactions, each of which presumed or a stable gain of $ 5, or a risk that could justify itself, and nothing to bring.
Surprisingly, it turned out that adolescents took much less dangerous decisions than adults, if they knew that their actions are associated with a certain degree of risk. However, the situation changed if the adolescents had no idea of the consequences that would entail their actions.
"In fact, adolescents do not rush, rashly, in situations involving risk. Simply, their actions can be associated with insufficient knowledge and lack of information on a particular issue, "the researchers summarize.
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