New Study Reveals When Adolescents Start Thinking Like Adults
A new study published in Nature Communications has provided some of the first definitive evidence on when adolescents start thinking like adults. The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the University of Minnesota, found that executive function, a key cognitive skill necessary for task-switching, focus, and resisting distractions, typically matures around the age of 18.
The study collected and analyzed data from over 10,000 participants across multiple datasets, creating a comprehensive roadmap of cognitive development in teenagers. This large-scale study has significant implications for various fields, including education, psychiatry, and the judicial system.
According to the findings, executive function experiences rapid growth from late childhood to mid-adolescence (10-15 years old). However, it stabilizes and reaches adult-level performance by late adolescence (18-20 years old). This information can help professionals detect deviations and identify potential mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, at an early stage.
Lead author Brenden Tervo-Clemmens, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Minnesota, explained that this study utilized tools that were not previously available to researchers studying cognitive and brain development. The researchers collected 23 different measures of executive function and analyzed how they changed over time to create a maturational timeline.
The roadmap of cognitive development in teenagers could have significant implications for mental health interventions and drug therapies. By understanding the normal trajectory of executive function maturation, researchers will be better equipped to identify any deviations from the norm and potentially improve early diagnosis of mental illnesses.
The study’s senior author, Beatriz Luna, professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, emphasized the importance of these findings for parents, educators, and even the judicial system. Defining the boundaries of the adolescent period is crucial for understanding the development of cognitive skills and decision-making processes.
The study received support from the National Institutes of Health and the Staunton Farm Foundation. The researchers hope that this research will lead to further advancements in the understanding of cognitive and brain development in adolescents.
Overall, this study provides valuable insights into when adolescents start thinking like adults. Understanding the timeline of cognitive development can have significant implications for the detection and treatment of mental illnesses, as well as informing educational practices and the justice system.