Adolescents And Decision Making
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As children get older, different areas of their brains develop to produce the ability to recognize and cope with a greater range of situations and functions. At around the age of seven the use of intellect begins to form. However, it is not until between the ages of fifteen and twenty that the areas of the brain used for future planning and risk assessment really begin to function. Until they fully function, adolescents do not have the capacity to make decisions in the same way that an adult would. Decision Making in adolescents is therefore influenced by a number of factors, including cognitive, social, and cultural. |
Cognitive factors refer to those influenced by mental processes. Until an adolescent's cognitive functions are fully formed, and until they have gained experience, they may be unable to fully assess risk. This lack of full assessment can impact upon their Decision Making, as they may not be fully aware of the negative consequences associated with certain decisions, instead having an overly optimistic view of possible outcome. Social factors have a huge influence on Decision Making in adolescents. Adolescence is a time when the individual begins to transfer their emotional attachment from their family to their peers at the same time that they begin to gain independence. Therefore friendship, social acceptance and peer pressure can all affect their decision making process. However, family still exists within these factors as well, often regarding longer-term decisions, or those that are value and ethically based. Cultural factors on the Decision Making in adolescents come from areas such as socio-economic, religion and ethnic background. Adolescents today are faced with more decisions than ever before, and some of these decisions can have enormous effects on them and those around them including decisions in areas such as career choice, social behavior, sexual behavior, alcohol and drugs. Therefore it is important to recognize them. By being aware, adults can assist and guide adolescents in a number of ways such as offering advice and information, teaching them how to deal with emotions and their impact, encouraging experiences and the positive lessons learnt from them and to recognize risks.
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