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Cheng TW, Mills KL, Pfeifer JH. Revisiting adolescence as a sensitive period for sociocultural processing. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 164:105820. [PMID: 39032845 PMCID: PMC11407824 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Waves of research and public discourse have characterized adolescence as periods of developmental risk and opportunity. Underlying this discussion is the recognition that adolescence is a period of major biological and social transition when experience may have an outsized effect on development. This article updates and expands upon prior work suggesting that adolescence may be a sensitive period for sociocultural processing specifically. By integrating evidence from developmental psychology and neuroscience, we identify how trajectories of social and neurobiological development may relate to adolescents' ability to adapt to and learn from their social environments. However, we also highlight gaps in the literature, including challenges in attributing developmental change to adolescent experiences. We discuss the importance of better understanding variability in biology (e.g., pubertal development) and cultural environments, as well as distinguishing between sensitive periods and periods of heightened sensitivity. Finally, we look toward future directions and translational implications of this research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa W Cheng
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 1227 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1227, USA; Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland St., Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| | - Kathryn L Mills
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 1227 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1227, USA.
| | - Jennifer H Pfeifer
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 1227 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1227, USA.
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2
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Foulkes L, Andrews JL. Accounting for the adolescent social context in school mental health interventions. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2024:10.1007/s00787-024-02439-1. [PMID: 38642115 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-024-02439-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Foulkes
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Jack L Andrews
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- University College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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3
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Irannezhad E, Fooladvand M, Soltanizadeh M. Comparison of body image and peer relations among girls with normal, early, and late menarche. JOURNAL OF EDUCATION AND HEALTH PROMOTION 2024; 13:115. [PMID: 38726089 PMCID: PMC11081460 DOI: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_1681_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The onset of menstruation is a turning point in women's sexual maturity that, unlike other stages of growth, occurs abruptly and is a critical stage in girls' lives. The present study investigated body image and peer relations among girls with early, late, and normal menarche. MATERIALS AND METHODS This casual-comparative descriptive study included female students aged 9-17 in Isfahan. The participants were selected using multistage cluster random sampling. Out of 5,984 students, 56, 37, and 43 were selected for the normal, early, and late menarche groups. The Body Image Concern Inventory and Index of Peer Relations were the two tools used in this study. Moreover, the data were analyzed using a covariance statistical test. RESULTS Girls with early menarche had better peer relations than those with late menarche (P = 0.01). In addition, there was a significant difference between adolescents with normal and late menarche in terms of body image (P = 0.01). Girls who experienced late menarche were more concerned about their body image and appearance; however, girls with early menarche experienced more impaired performance (P = 0.05). CONCLUSION The first menstrual cycle, or menarche, affects psychological variables such as body image and peer relations. The later the menarche, the fewer problems in regard to body image and peer relations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elham Irannezhad
- Department of Psychology, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Maryam Fooladvand
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
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4
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Reiter AMF, Hula A, Vanes L, Hauser TU, Kokorikou D, Goodyer IM, Fonagy P, Moutoussis M, Dolan RJ. Self-reported childhood family adversity is linked to an attenuated gain of trust during adolescence. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6920. [PMID: 37903767 PMCID: PMC10616102 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41531-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
A longstanding proposal in developmental research is that childhood family experiences provide a template that shapes a capacity for trust-based social relationships. We leveraged longitudinal data from a cohort of healthy adolescents (n = 570, aged 14-25), which included decision-making and psychometric data, to characterise normative developmental trajectories of trust behaviour and inter-individual differences therein. Extending on previous cross-sectional findings from the same cohort, we show that a task-based measure of trust increases longitudinally from adolescence into young adulthood. Computational modelling suggests this is due to a decrease in social risk aversion. Self-reported family adversity attenuates this developmental gain in trust behaviour, and within our computational model, this relates to a higher 'irritability' parameter in those reporting greater adversity. Unconditional trust at measurement time point T1 predicts the longitudinal trajectory of self-reported peer relation quality, particularly so for those with higher family adversity, consistent with trust acting as a resilience factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea M F Reiter
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK.
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK.
- Department of Child and Adolescence Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Centre of Mental Health, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
- Department of Psychology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
- CRC Cognitive Control, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Andreas Hula
- Austrian Institute of Technology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lucy Vanes
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Tobias U Hauser
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Danae Kokorikou
- Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Ian M Goodyer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Peter Fonagy
- Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Michael Moutoussis
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK
| | - Raymond J Dolan
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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5
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Melguizo-Ibáñez E, González-Valero G, Ubago-Jiménez JL, Alonso-Vargas JM, Puertas-Molero P. Associations of Mediterranean Diet, Psychological Wellbeing and Media Pressure on Physical Complexion and Effect of Weekly Physical Activity Engagement in Higher Education. Eur J Investig Health Psychol Educ 2023; 13:1600-1611. [PMID: 37754455 PMCID: PMC10527733 DOI: 10.3390/ejihpe13090116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Nowadays, the media has the power to encourage active and healthy lifestyles; however, it can have a negative impact on body image and psychological wellbeing. The present research aims to analyze Mediterranean diet adherence, media pressure, slim and athletic build ideals and psychological wellbeing as a function of weekly physical activity engagement. A further aim is to examine the effect of Mediterranean diet adherence, media pressure and psychological wellbeing on the perceived pressure to have an athletic and slim build. The present non-experimental study included a sample of 634 university students. Validated instruments adapted by the scientific community were used for data collection. Gathered data reveal that young people who engage in more than 300 min of physical activity per week are more likely to adhere to a Mediterranean diet, have better psychological wellbeing and feel more pressure to obtain an athletic build. In conclusion, weekly physical activity engagement impacts the variables under study.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - José Manuel Alonso-Vargas
- Department of Didactics of Musical, Plastic and Corporal Expression, University of Granada (Spain), Campus de Cartuja, 18071 Granada, Spain; (E.M.-I.); (G.G.-V.); (J.L.U.-J.); (P.P.-M.)
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6
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Sahi RS, Eisenberger NI, Silvers JA. Peer facilitation of emotion regulation in adolescence. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 62:101262. [PMID: 37302349 PMCID: PMC10276262 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Emotion regulation is particularly important for adolescents as they undergo normative developmental changes in affective systems and experience heightened risk for psychopathology. Despite a high need for emotion regulation during adolescence, commonly studied emotion regulation strategies like cognitive reappraisal are less beneficial for adolescents than adults because they rely on neural regions that are still developing during this period (i.e., lateral prefrontal cortex). However, adolescence is also marked by increased valuation of peer relationships and sensitivity to social information and cues. In the present review, we synthesize research examining emotion regulation and peer influence across development to suggest that sensitivity to peers during adolescence could be leveraged to improve emotion regulation for this population. We first discuss developmental trends related to emotion regulation at the level of behavior and brain in adolescents, using cognitive reappraisal as an exemplar emotion regulation strategy. Next, we discuss social influences on adolescent brain development, describing caregiver influence and increasing susceptibility to peer influence, to describe how adolescent sensitivity to social inputs represents both a window of vulnerability and opportunity. Finally, we conclude by describing the promise of social (i.e., peer-based) interventions for enhancing emotion regulation in adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Razia S Sahi
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Naomi I Eisenberger
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jennifer A Silvers
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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7
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Kilford EJ, Foulkes L, Blakemore SJ. Associations between age, social reward processing and social anxiety symptoms. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 43:1-18. [PMID: 37359660 PMCID: PMC10113964 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-023-04551-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Reward processing undergoes marked changes in adolescence, with social interactions representing a powerful source of reward. Reward processing is also an important factor in the development of social anxiety disorder, a condition that most commonly first appears in adolescence. This study investigated the relationship between age, social reward processing and social anxiety in a cross-sectional sample of female participants (N = 80) aged 13-34. Participants performed two versions of a probabilistic reward anticipation task, in which a speeded response could result in different probabilities of receiving either social or monetary rewarding feedback. Participants also completed self-report assessments of social reward value, trait anxiety and social anxiety symptoms. At high reward probabilities, performance on both reward tasks showed a quadratic effect of age, with the fastest responses at around 22-24 years. A similar quadratic effect was found for subjective liking ratings of both reward stimuli, although these were not associated with performance. Social anxiety was not associated with a subjective liking of the rewards but did predict performance on both tasks at all reward probabilities. Age-related variation in reward processing was not accounted for by age-related variation in social anxiety symptoms, suggesting that, while both social anxiety and age were associated with variation in reward processing, their effects were largely independent. Together, these findings provide evidence that social reward processing continues to develop across adolescence and that individual differences in social anxiety should be considered when considering reward sensitivity during this period. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-023-04551-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma J. Kilford
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, WC1N 3AZ UK
- Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT UK
| | - Lucy Foulkes
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG UK
| | - Sarah-Jayne Blakemore
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, WC1N 3AZ UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB UK
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8
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McDiarmid S, Osman F, Sarkadi A, Durbeej N. Associations between social factors and school belonging among newcomer and non-newcomer youth in Sweden. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0280244. [PMID: 36735695 PMCID: PMC9897537 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Feeling a sense of belonging at school is associated with important positive outcomes for youth and requires youth to engage in positive social relationships. Yet there is a limited understanding of the social factors most associated with youths' school belonging and limited evidence about whether correlates of school belonging vary for marginalized groups like newcomers compared to majority groups. Sweden provides an important context for investigation of these issues because, over the past two decades, the country has experienced an influx of asylum seekers and educational reforms that have altered the composition and functioning of Swedish secondary schools. This study addresses these gaps by (1) investigating which of eight social factors are associated with school belonging among diverse Swedish youth, and (2) examining whether newcomer status moderates the relationship between social factors and school belonging. Hierarchical regression and moderation analyses were used to analyze data from 14 to 19 year-old (n = 233) newcomers and non-newcomers in Sweden. An exploratory factor analysis revealed that the school belonging measure contained two factors: positive perceptions and negative perceptions (reverse coded). For both, stronger school belonging was associated with lower perceived ethnic discrimination. Positive perceptions of school belonging were also associated with more prosocial behaviours and lower emotional problems. Negative perceptions of school belonging were associated with more peer problems. Notably, quantity and quality of peer relationships were not associated with school belonging. There was no consistent evidence of newcomer status moderating the relationship between social factors and school belonging. These results highlight factors associated with school belonging which are modifiable and amenable to intervention or impact by policy-ethnic discrimination, prosocial behaviour, and emotional and peer problems. The absence of moderation by newcomer status suggests that school belonging interventions or related policies are likely to affect newcomer and non-newcomer students similarly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena McDiarmid
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
| | - Fatumo Osman
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- School of Health and Welfare, Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden
| | - Anna Sarkadi
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Natalie Durbeej
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- * E-mail:
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9
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Development in uncertain contexts: An ecologically informed approach to understanding decision-making during adolescence. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2023:10.3758/s13415-023-01067-7. [PMID: 36737586 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-023-01067-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Adolescence is a period of development in which youth have new opportunities for decision-making, often in situations where they may have little information or experience to guide their choices. Thus, learning to make decisions under uncertainty is a key challenge during adolescence. To date, researchers have applied economics formalisms to understand the processes that support adolescents in making decisions under two distinct forms of uncertainty: economic risk and economic ambiguity. Economic risk is when the probabilities of outcomes are known. Economic ambiguity is when the probabilities of outcomes are unknown or unknowable. This research has led to foundational knowledge about the basic processes involved in adolescent decision-making, but many experimental paradigms that dissociate economic risk and ambiguity rely on monetary or point-based choices. Given that adolescence is a period of development characterized by a changing social environment, it remains unclear whether the processes that adolescents engage during decision-making on monetary or point-based experimental tasks generalize to their day-to-day experiences in the real world. In this brief piece, we explore how developmental research applying economics formalisms can be bolstered by research on youth's social environments to advance our understanding of decision-making in adolescence. First, we review developmental research by using economic uncertainty paradigms. Next, we highlight research on adolescents' social environments to provide examples of the day-to-day choices that adolescents face among their peers and in their broader communities. Finally, we propose directions for future research integrating these separate approaches to create a more nuanced, ecologically informed understanding of adolescent decision-making.
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10
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Follett D, Hitchcock C, Dalgleish T, Stretton J. Reduced social risk-taking in depression. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND CLINICAL SCIENCE 2023; 132:156-164. [PMID: 36808959 PMCID: PMC9940639 DOI: 10.1037/abn0000797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
Evolutionary models of depression posit that depressed mood represents an adaptive response to unacceptably low social status, motivating the inhibition of social risk-taking in favor of submissive behaviors which reduce the likelihood of social exclusion. We tested the hypothesis of reduced social risk taking using a novel adaptation of the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) in participants with major depressive disorder (MDD; n = 27) and never-depressed comparison participants (n = 35). The BART requires participants to pump up virtual balloons. The more the balloon is pumped up, the more money a participant gains on that trial. However, more pumps also increase the risk the balloon will burst such that all money is lost. Prior to performing the BART, participants took part in a team induction in small groups in order to prime social-group membership. Participants then completed two conditions of the BART: an Individual condition where they risked only their own money, and a Social condition, where they risked the money of their social group. The groups did not differ in their performance in the individual condition (Cohen's d = 0.07). However, the MDD group risked fewer pumps in the Social condition than the never-depressed group (d = 0.57). The study supports the notion of an aversion to social risk-taking in depression. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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11
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te Brinke LW, van der Cruijsen R, Green KH, Crone EA. Positive and Negative Risk-Taking in Adolescence and Early Adulthood: A Citizen Science Study During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Front Psychol 2022; 13:885692. [PMID: 35734467 PMCID: PMC9207949 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.885692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensation seeking is an important underlying factor of both positive and negative forms of risk-taking during adolescence and early adulthood. However, macro-factors such as the global COVID-19 pandemic may influence sensation seeking opportunities and risk-taking behaviors that are considered negative and positive. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to examine the associations between sensation seeking and behaviors that are considered positive or negative forms of risk-taking during the Covid-19 pandemic in a sample of adolescents and early adults (N = 660, Mage = 22.91, SD = 3.14). Using citizen science methods, negative risk-taking was defined as taking unaccepted risks, such as falsifying vaccination reports or deliberately contracting COVID-19. Positive risk-taking was defined as taking socially accepted risks, such as balancing between the risk to infect elderly people and the need to socialize with peers. Results showed that participants with higher levels of sensation seeking took more positive and negative COVID-19 related risks. An additional finding was that sensation seeking was positively associated with the need to contribute to society. This indicates that during adolescence and early adulthood, sensation seeking may be a driving factor for both positive (i.e., socially accepted) and negative (i.e., socially unaccepted) risk-taking in the context of a high-stake global pandemic, arguing against a one-direction negative relation between sensation seeking and risk-taking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lysanne W. te Brinke
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Lysanne W. te Brinke,
| | - Renske van der Cruijsen
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Kayla H. Green
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Eveline A. Crone
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
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12
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Rowlands K, Grafton B, Cerea S, Simic M, Hirsch C, Cruwys T, Yellowlees R, Treasure J, Cardi V. A multifaceted study of interpersonal functioning and cognitive biases towards social stimuli in adolescents with eating disorders and healthy controls. J Affect Disord 2021; 295:397-404. [PMID: 34500369 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive biases towards social stimuli have been identified as one of the putative modifiable mechanisms to remediate interpersonal difficulties in adolescents with mental disorders. However, evidence for these biases in adolescents with eating disorders is scarce. METHODS This study assessed interpersonal sensitivity, cognitive biases towards social stimuli, and quantity and quality of social group memberships in adolescents with eating disorders (n = 80), compared to healthy controls (n = 78), and examined whether a negative interpretation bias would mediate the relationship between interpersonal sensitivity, eating disorder symptoms and positive group memberships. RESULTS Adolescents with eating disorders displayed greater interpersonal awareness, negative interpretation biases of ambiguous social information and poorer quality relationships with their social groups compared to healthy controls. In a simple mediation model, interpersonal awareness predicted eating disorder symptoms, and this effect was partially mediated by a negative interpretation bias. CONCLUSIONS Psychological interventions which aim to reduce a negative interpretation bias might help to reduce the severity of eating disorder symptoms in adolescents with eating disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Rowlands
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Ben Grafton
- Centre for the Advancement of Research on Emotion, School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Silvia Cerea
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Mima Simic
- Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Colette Hirsch
- Psychology Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tegan Cruwys
- Research School of Psychology, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Robyn Yellowlees
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Janet Treasure
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Valentina Cardi
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Italy
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13
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Sisk LM, Gee DG. Stress and adolescence: vulnerability and opportunity during a sensitive window of development. Curr Opin Psychol 2021; 44:286-292. [PMID: 34818623 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Adolescence is a period of dynamic change across multiple systems. Concurrent maturation of neural, biological, and psychosocial functioning renders adolescence a time of heightened sensitivity to both negative and positive experiences. Here, we review recent literature across these domains, discuss risk and opportunity in the context of ongoing neural development, and highlight promising directions for future research. Finally, we propose that conceptualizing adolescence as a sensitive window during which plasticity across multiple systems is enhanced may support the identification of links between experience, neurodevelopment, and psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucinda M Sisk
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Dylan G Gee
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
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14
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The importance of belonging and the avoidance of social risk taking in adolescence. DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2021.100981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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15
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Pozuelo JR, Kilford EJ. Adolescent health series: Adolescent neurocognitive development in Western and Sub-Saharan African contexts. Trop Med Int Health 2021; 26:1333-1344. [PMID: 34270856 DOI: 10.1111/tmi.13656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The transitional period of adolescence has long been associated with physical, social and behavioural change. During this time, adolescents start to develop their own self-identity, make important life decisions and acquire the necessary skills to successfully transition to adulthood. More recently, advances in brain imaging technology have enabled increased understanding of structural and functional changes in the human brain during this developmental period, and how they relate to social, emotional, motivational and cognitive development. The ability to integrate these developing cognitive processes in increasingly complex social contexts is a key aspect of mature decision-making, which has implications for adolescent health, educational, economic and social outcomes. Insights from the field of developmental cognitive neuroscience could increase our understanding of this influential stage of life and thus inform potential interventions to promote adolescent health, a critical goal for global health research. Many social changes occur during adolescence and the social environment shapes both brain and cognitive development and the decisions adolescents make. Thus, it is important to study adolescent neurocognitive development in socio-cultural context. Yet, despite evidence from Western studies that socio-cultural and economic factors impact on adolescent neurocognitive development, existing studies of adolescent neurocognitive development in sub-Saharan Africa are relatively scarce. We summarise research findings from Western and sub-Saharan African contexts and highlight areas where research is lacking. Longitudinal studies from more diverse global samples will be needed to build a comprehensive model of adolescent development, that characterises both commonalities in developmental trajectories, as well as the way these can meaningfully differ between both individuals and contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia R Pozuelo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Centre for the Study of African Economies, Blavatnik School of Government and Economics Department, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Emma J Kilford
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK.,Department of Clinical, Educational & Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
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Andrews JL, Ahmed SP, Blakemore SJ. Navigating the Social Environment in Adolescence: The Role of Social Brain Development. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:109-118. [PMID: 33190844 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Successful navigation of the social environment is dependent on a number of social cognitive processes, including mentalizing and resistance to peer influence. These processes continue to develop during adolescence, a time of significant social change, and are underpinned by regions of the social brain that continue to mature structurally and functionally into adulthood. In this review, we describe how mentalizing, peer influence, and emotion regulation capacities develop to aid the navigation of the social environment during adolescence. Heightened susceptibility to peer influence and hypersensitivity to social rejection in adolescence increase the likelihood of both risky and prosocial behavior in the presence of peers. Developmental differences in mentalizing and emotion regulation, and the corticosubcortical circuits that underpin these processes, might put adolescents at risk for developing mental health problems. We suggest how interventions aimed at improving prosocial behavior and emotion regulation abilities hold promise in reducing the risk of poor mental health as adolescents navigate the changes in their social environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack L Andrews
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Saz P Ahmed
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah-Jayne Blakemore
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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