Braams, B. R., van Leijenhorst, L., & Crone, E. A. (2014). Risks, rewards, and the developing brain in childhood and adolescence. In V. F. Reyna & V. Zayas (Eds.), Bronfenbrenner series on the ecology of human development. The neuroscience of risky decision making (pp. 73-91). Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/14322-004
Childhood and adolescence are a time of changes in the physical, cognitive, and social–emotional domains. Behaviorally, one of the prominent features of adolescence is an increase in risk taking. In this chapter, we review current theories and research to explain risk-taking behavior from a neural perspective. After a general introduction, we lay out behavioral findings focusing on risk taking, then describe current models of adolescent brain development that provide possible explanations for the observed risk taking. Next, we describe neuroimaging research and how the findings map to the models. Finally, we propose new directions for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)