Jim Liebelt's Youth Culture Watch

It's My Brain's Fault! Why Teenagers Make Often Unwise Decisions

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by ScienceDaily.

Adults exhibit a general tendency to make better decisions than adolescents, and this improvement drives an increase in specific and more sophisticated choice behaviors, according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Vanessa Scholz and Lorenz Deserno from the University of Würzburg, Germany, and colleagues.

Learning and decision-making change considerably from adolescence into adulthood.

Adolescents undergo developmental changes in specific choice behaviors, such as goal-directed behaviors and motivational influences over choice.

They also consistently show high levels of decision noise, i.e., choosing suboptimal options.

However, it remains unknown whether these observations -- the development of specific and more sophisticated choice processes and higher decision noise -- are independent or related.

To test this idea, Scholz, Deserno, and colleagues analyzed data from 93 participants between 12 and 42 years of age.

The participants completed three reinforcement learning tasks: a task assessing motivational influences over choices, a learning task capturing adaptive decision-making in response to environmental changes, and a task measuring goal-directed behavior.

The results revealed that noise levels were strongly correlated across reinforcement learning tasks.

Critically, noise levels mediated age-dependent increases in more sophisticated choice behaviors and performance gains.

The findings suggest that unspecific noise mediates the development of highly specific functions or strategies.

Having fewer cognitive resources might make adolescents more prone to rely on computationally cheaper decision strategies, rendering them more susceptible to emotional, motivational and social influences.

Overall, the study provides novel insights into the computational processes underlying developmental changes in decision-making.

The authors add, "Teenagers make less optimal, so-called 'noisy' decisions. While these noisy decisions decrease when growing older, this decrease is also linked to the development of improved complex decision-making skills, such as planning and flexibility."

Source: ScienceDaily
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/11/241114161245.htm

Early Puberty Surged During The Pandemic, And This Could Be Why

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by the ScienceAlert.

Among the laundry list of health problems COVID inflicted on the world's population, one of the more perplexing was an increase in the number of children experiencing what is known as idiopathic precocious puberty – abnormally early onset of puberty.

More than one study spotted the spike in numbers of this typically rare condition, highlighting a potential link between the virus and a trigger for early adolescence.

A study by researchers from Gazi University and Ankara City Hospital in Turkey suggested it might not have anything to do with the infection at all.

Rather the time spent during lockdowns scrolling through smart devices for hours on end could have been to blame, research suggests.

In two separate studies published in 2023, the researchers exposed immature male and female rats to the light emitted by LED screens, finding those bathed in the blue-tinged light for longer bouts showed the hallmarks of maturity sooner than the rest.

"We have found that blue light exposure, sufficient to alter melatonin levels, is also able to alter reproductive hormone levels and cause earlier puberty onset in our rat model. In addition, the longer the exposure, the earlier the onset," Gazi University endocrinologist and lead author Aylin Kilinç Uğurlu explained when the team's initial results on female rats were revealed.

Though the results couldn't conclusively determine why more children around the world were experiencing early puberty, it's a finding that should be taken seriously as we become increasingly reliant on personalized digital technology.

This research was published in The Journal of Clinical Research in Pediatric Endocrinology and Frontiers in Endocrinology.

Source: ScienceAlert
https://www.sciencealert.com/early-puberty-surged-during-the-pandemic-and-this-could-be-why

Fragrance in Care Products Could Be Triggering Early Puberty in Girls

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by ScienceAlert.

A search for chemicals that could inadvertently activate parts of the brain responsible for reproductive functions has identified compounds many of us may encounter in our environment, highlighting a potential trigger for early puberty in women.

One is a musky scent, once commonly used in men's fragrances, which was banned by the European Union, yet might still be found in products sold across much of the world, including the US.

Over the past century, the average ages of menarche – the commencement of menstruation – and breast development have trended downward. While there are clear racial and socioeconomic factors, the phenomenon is too global and too rapid to be wholly genetic, leaving scientists to question what novel environmental factors might cause such early changes.

While plenty of studies have hunted for candidates that could account for such precocious maturity, inconsistent results have made it hard to pin down any culprits.

Researchers from the US National Institutes of Health and North Western University chose to focus their search around a network of neurons in the hypothalamus known to play a critical role in managing the onset of puberty.

Rather than search for signs of disruption in a sample of volunteers, the researchers used a culture of tissue grown in the lab to screen for the effects of various substances on the cells' GnRH and kisspeptin activity.

The screening itself was substantial, sorting through some 10,000 different substances, outlined in an Environmental Protection Agency library. Then, additional evaluation tools whittled the list down to a few dozen compounds that interfered with one or both of the pathways.

One compound in particular stood out – a candidate agonist for kisspeptin, called musk ambrette. Once commonly found in cosmetics and men's fragrances, the sweet, slightly animal scent was banned by the European Union in the 1990s, following evidence of its neurotoxicity in rats, though it continues to be synthesized in India and China.

The substance is less common in commercial products today, thanks to recommendations by the International Fragrance Association. But being resistant to degradation, it continues to have an environmental presence that could pose a serious, ongoing concern, warn studies such as this new one.

This research was published in Endocrinology.

Source: ScienceAlert
https://www.sciencealert.com/fragrance-in-care-products-could-be-triggering-early-puberty-in-girls

Internet Addiction Affects Behavior and Development of Adolescents

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by MedicalXpress.

Adolescents with an internet addiction undergo changes in the brain that could lead to additional addictive behavior and tendencies, finds a new study by UCL researchers.

The findings, published in PLOS Mental Health, reviewed 12 articles involving 237 young people aged 10–19 with a formal diagnosis of internet addiction between 2013 and 2023.

Internet addiction has been defined as a person's inability to resist the urge to use the internet, negatively impacting their psychological well-being, as well as their social, academic and professional lives.

The studies used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to inspect the functional connectivity (how regions of the brain interact with each other) of participants with internet addiction, both while resting and completing a task.

The effects of internet addiction were seen throughout multiple neural networks in the brains of adolescents. There was a mixture of increased and decreased activity in the parts of the brain that are activated when resting (the default mode network).

Meanwhile, there was an overall decrease in the functional connectivity in the parts of the brain involved in active thinking (the executive control network).

These changes were found to lead to addictive behaviors and tendencies in adolescents, as well as behavior changes associated with intellectual ability, physical coordination, mental health and development.

Source: MedicalXpress
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-06-internet-addiction-affects-behavior-adolescents.html

U.S. Girls Are Beginning Periods Earlier

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by HealthDay.

U.S. girls are getting their periods at younger ages, a new study has found.

Girls born between 2000 and 2005 started their periods at an average age of 11.9 years -- a half year earlier than the average age of 12.5 years for girls born between 1950 and 1969, researchers reported May 29 in the journal JAMA Network Open.

The latest generation was also more likely to start menstruation early (15.5% versus 8.6%) and very early (1.4% versus 0.6%), results show.

Early onset of menstruation “is associated with higher risk of adverse health outcomes, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer,” said researcher Zifan Wang, a postdoctoral research fellow with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.

The researchers found that all women are experiencing earlier menstruation, but that those who are poor or a racial minority were even more likely to start their periods at a younger age.

For the study, researchers analyzed data on more than 71,000 women participating in a large-scale health study. The researchers divided the women into five age brackets: born between 1950-1969, 1970-1979, 1980-1989, 1990-1999 and 2000-2005.

A girl’s first menstrual period was defined as early if it occurred before age 11, very early if it occurred younger than age 9 and late if it came at age 16 or older.

Researchers found that as birth year increased, the average age of a girl’s first period decreased.

They also found it is taking girls longer for their menstrual cycle to become regular.

Source: HealthDay
https://www.healthday.com/health-news/women-health/us-girls-are-beginning-periods-earlier

'Transcendent' Thinking May Grow Teens' Brains Over Time

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by ScienceDaily.

Scientists at the USC Rossier School of Education's Center for Affective Neuroscience, Development, Learning and Education (CANDLE), have shown for the first time that a type of thinking, that has been described for over a century as a developmental milestone of adolescence, may grow teenagers' brains over time. This kind of thinking, which the study's authors call "transcendent," moves beyond reacting to the concrete specifics of social situations to also consider the broader ethical, systems-level and personal implications at play. Engaging in this type of thinking involves analyzing situations for their deeper meaning, historical contexts, civic significance, and/or underlying ideas.

The published study "Diverse adolescents' transcendent thinking predicts young adult psychosocial outcomes via brain network development" is published in Scientific Reports.

In previous studies, the authors had shown that when teens and adults think about issues and situations in a transcendent way, many brain systems coordinate their activity, among them two major networks important for psychological functioning: the executive control network and the default mode network.

The researchers privately interviewed 65, 14-18-year-old high school students about true stories of other teens from around the world and asked the students to explain how each story made them feel.

The students then underwent fMRI brain scans that day and again two years later.

The researchers followed up with the participants twice more over the next three years, as they moved into their early twenties.

What the researchers found is that all teens in the experiment talked at least some about the bigger picture -- what lessons they took from a particularly poignant story, or how a story may have changed their perspective on something in their own life or the lives and futures of others.

However, they found that while all of the participating teens could think transcendently, some did it far more than others.

And that was what made the difference. The more a teen grappled with the bigger picture and tried to learn from the stories, the more that teen increased the coordination between brain networks over the next two years, regardless of their IQ or their socioeconomic status.

The findings reveal a novel predictor of brain development -- transcendent thinking. The researchers believe transcendent thinking may grow the brain because it requires coordinating brain networks involved in effortful, focused thinking, like the executive control network, with those involved in internal reflection and free-form thinking, like the default mode network.

Source: ScienceDaily
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240318142218.htm

New Psychology Research Sheds Light on the Link Between Romance and Friendships During Adolescence

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by PsyPost.

Have you ever wondered how teenage romances influence friendships? A recent study published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships delved into this topic. Researchers found that teenagers in romantic relationships are less likely to form new friendships, yet these relationships don’t necessarily spell the end for existing ones. Understanding these dynamics can offer valuable insights into adolescent development and help educators, parents, and teenagers themselves foster healthier social environments.

Adolescence is a crucial period for social development, where friendships serve as the main stage for learning social and emotional skills. Yet, the fragile nature of these relationships, combined with the burgeoning world of romantic involvement, presents a puzzle: how do these romantic engagements shape the broader social landscape of adolescence?

Researchers embarked on this study to unravel this mystery. The researchers harnessed data from the Teenage Friends and Lifestyle Study, which tracked adolescent friendships in Glasgow, Scotland, between 1995 and 1997.

“We were drawn to this topic because of the intricate association between romantic relationships and adolescent social networks,” said lead author Haoyang Zhang, a PhD candidate in Sociology and Social Data Analytics at Pennsylvania State University.

Participants were asked to name up to six friends, providing a clear picture of their social networks. Additionally, they reported their romantic relationship status, enabling the researchers to explore the dynamics of friendship formation and dissolution against the backdrop of teenage romance.

The study’s findings paint a fascinating picture of teenage social life, where those dating tended to befriend other daters, while single teens gravitated towards one another. This trend held even when controlling for other factors, such as gender and shared activities, underscoring the significant role of romantic relationships in shaping social circles.

“The key takeaway from our study for the average person is that adolescents’ involvement in a romantic relationship can significantly change their friendship patterns,” Zhang told PsyPost. “First, our findings reveal that teenagers in romantic relationships tend to befriend others who are also in romantic relationships, while those who are not in such a relationship often form friendships with other singles. Second, our results show that young people who are in a romantic relationship are significantly less likely to make new friends over time than those who are single.”

However, the study revealed a twist in the tale of teenage romance and friendship. While being in a romantic relationship made teenagers less likely to forge new friendships, it did not lead to an increased likelihood of existing friendships ending. This suggests that while love might limit the expansion of a teenager’s social horizons, it doesn’t necessarily undermine the friendships they already have.

Source: PsyPost
https://www.psypost.org/new-psychology-research-sheds-light-on-the-link-between-romance-and-friendships-during-adolescence/

How Emotions Influence What Adolescents Eat

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by MedicalXpress.

A new study by the Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology—BIPS has investigated how emotional states influence the eating habits of children and adolescents and which interventions help to change unhealthy eating habits. The research focuses on the role of stress and impulsivity in food choices, particularly in relation to sweet and fatty foods. It has now been published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.

"Our study shows that emotional states, especially negative stress, have a significant influence on dietary choices in adolescents," explains Stefanie Do, scientist at BIPS and first author of the publication. "This finding can help to develop effective interventions aimed at changing unhealthy dietary patterns."

To investigate the relationship between emotions, impulsivity and a preference for sweet and fatty foods, Do's team analyzed data from the European IDEFICS/I.Family cohort.

The survey began in 2007 with 16,230 children aged two to nine years and was continued in further waves until 2021. In the current study, Do's team hypothetically placed all adolescents on a high well-being or low impulsivity score and compared them with the low and high scores to estimate the effects on the propensity to eat sweet and fatty foods.

"The consumption of unhealthy foods, such as sweet or fatty foods, in response to negative emotions is an often unregulated strategy of our body to deal with negative emotions, such as fear, anger, frustration, stress or sadness," explains PD Dr. Antje Hebestreit, head of the Lifestyle-Related Disorders Unit at BIPS.

"Comparing the effects of well-being and impulsivity on the tendency to eat unhealthy foods, our analyses suggest that impulsivity may have a stronger effect. This underlines the importance of measures that reduce emotion-driven impulsivity. Sport, for example, could help in this regard."

Adolescents suffering from chronic stress are prone to impulsive behavior and are therefore highly susceptible to the increasing availability and advertising of unhealthy foods such as sweets or potato chips.

Source: MedicalXpress
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-01-emotions-adolescents.html

New Study Highlights the Crucial Role of Parental Engagement on Teen Development

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by Psypost.

In a recent study involving Swiss adolescents, researchers discovered that parental involvement significantly increases prosocial behavior in teens but does not necessarily decrease internalizing problems. The study, published in the Journal of Early Adolescence, also found an unexpected two-way relationship between prosocial behavior and internalizing problems, challenging previous assumptions about adolescent development.

The study drew upon data from the "Zurich Project on the Social Development of Children and Youths," an ongoing multi-rater longitudinal study that began in 2004. The researchers focused on data collected during four waves when the participants were approximately 11, 13, 15, and 17 years old. A substantial number of adolescents, totaling 1,523, were part of this detailed analysis.

One of the most significant revelations was the role of parental involvement. The researchers found that when parents were more involved in their adolescents’ lives – through activities like open communication, support, and showing interest in their children’s activities – the youths tended to exhibit more prosocial behavior as they grew older. This positive influence of parental involvement was consistent from early to mid-to-late adolescence.

The data showed that higher levels of parental involvement at ages 11, 13, and 15 predicted an increase in prosocial behavior two years later. This finding underscores the importance of parents staying actively engaged in their children’s lives throughout adolescence, not just during early childhood.

Another interesting outcome was the connection between parental involvement and self-control. The study found that greater parental involvement predicted improvements in self-control over time, indicating that parents play a crucial role in helping their children develop self-regulation skills.

“The findings of this study emphasize the relevance of parental involvement as a resource that may promote prosociality and self-control during adolescence,” said study author Fabiola Silletti, a Ph.D.candidate at the University of Bari Aldo Moro who also currently serves as a research scholar at the Resilience and Health Laboratory and the Developmental Risk and Cultural Resilience Laboratory.

Source: Psypost
https://www.psypost.org/2023/11/new-study-highlights-the-crucial-role-of-parental-engagement-on-teen-development-214755#google_vignette

Is Your 18-Year-Old Really 'Mature'? New Brain Study Has Answers

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by HealthDay.

An adolescent starts thinking like an adult right around the age of 18, according to new research.

That provides some of the first definitive evidence that executive function matures by that time.

Executive function is a set of mental skills that include the ability to plan, switch between tasks, resist tempting distractions, and focus.

For the study, researchers collected and analyzed nearly two dozen laboratory measures of executive functions in more than 10,000 people.

“When I talk with parents, a lot of them say, ‘There is no way that my 18-year-old is a fully formed adult!'" said senior author Beatriz Luna, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and authority on neurocognitive development.

“Other important behavioral factors that complement executive function, such as the ability to control one's own emotions, can change with age. The ability to use executive function reliably improves with age and, at least in a laboratory setting, matures by 18 years of age," Luna said in a university news release.

While many childhood milestones are mapped out, that timeline of adolescence transitioning to adulthood is less formally defined, according to the study. Individuals differ greatly. Analytical tools are limited.

Using four unique datasets, the authors collected 23 distinct measures of executive function from 10,000 participants aged 8 to 35. They tracked changes over time and whether performance across different tests fit a single trajectory.

Researchers saw a rapid burst of executive function development from age 10 to 15. That was followed by small but significant changes through mid-adolescence, ages 15 to 18. Development reached adult-level performance by ages 18 to 20.

Study findings were published in the journal Nature Communications.

Source: HealthDay
https://www.healthday.com/health-news/child-health/is-your-18-year-old-really-mature-new-brain-study-has-answers