Teenagers are often portrayed as thrill-seekers, but research suggests their brains are wired to learn from their experiences, which makes them better prepared for adulthood.
In a small study, they performed better than adults at a picture-based game and brain scans showed a higher level of brain activity.
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When [researchers] looked at the teenagers’ brain scans, [they] found activity in two areas of the brain – the hippocampus and the striatum – whereas adults mainly used their striatum.
They said these connections between two important parts of the growing brain explained why they performed better.
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Juliet Davidow, a psychology researcher at Harvard University, said the findings could inspire new ways of teaching teenagers.
“If you frame something positively, it could be the case that adolescents will remember things about the learning experience better. In everyday life, they’re paying attention to their environment in a way that is different from adults.”
The researchers are now looking at what other situations or experiences activate this link between the striatum and hippocampus in teenage brains.
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