Thinking Before You Leap
National Public Radio recently reported on a study by BJ Weill of Cornell Medical College, which found that teenagers are more rational than originally thought. This may come as a surprise, especially since past studies have implied that adolescents are prone to making bad decisions due to their still-developing brains.
Weill’s study shows that, while the adolescent mind can be vulnerable during its developmental stage, the vulnerability actually gives teenagers the capability to make rational decisions. Not only are teenagers sensitive to criticism, but they are more likely to make better decisions when they know they are going to be rewarded for their actions.
“I don’t think teenagers are more ‘impulsive’ or more ‘rational’,” Vararat Chaiyont, a Peninsula AP Psychology teacher said. “I believe it depends on the situation.” Chaiyont believes that each individual has their own ideas, experiences and traits that determine how they will act in a situation.
On the other hand, if the payoffs do not exceed the risks, the opposite effect could occur; a teenager could make an impulsive decision instead of a well-thought out one. For example, if students have not studied for a test the night before and know they might fail, they might cheat to avoid receiving a bad grade. Chaiyont has seen cheating through her years of teaching, and calls it the biggest example of teenage irrationality.
“[Teenagers] know it is wrong but they feel the pressure to perform so they cheat anyway,” Chaiyont said. “They are hoping that they can get away with it and be rewarded for something they did not earn.”
Junior Jozsef Lore suggests that an adolescent has an idea about the decisions they make and their affects, yet make whichever decision will help him or her avoid consequences.
“People tend to rush into things if they’re not getting rewarded for it, so even if [a decision] is the right choice, they’re less likely to make that choice unless there are rewards,” Lore said.
Yet freshman Jade Zalewki said that if she were in a situation which would likely end in punishment, she would think much more about what she should do to stay out of trouble.
“My parents will most likely find out, so I would just try to weigh my options,” Zalewki said.
With an adolescent, his or her actions simply depend on where he or she is in mental development.
“Teenagers are in a stage of development where they are trying to discover who they really are and to develop bonds with their peers. Their greatest influence are their peers so they would be more likely to choose those kinds of risky behaviors if the people they want to be friends with encourage it,” Chaiyont said.
