Topic 2: Pre-Adult Brain Development Application

Question 1

What is an existing strategy to minimise risk-taking behaviour’s in adolescents?

Answer 1

Involves education adolescents about substance abuse, unprotected sex and reckless driving. It aimed to alter adolescents knowledge, attitudes and beliefs.

Question 2

What is the education strategy not effective in changing adolescent behaviour?

Answer 2

Steinberg (2008) found concluded it’s ineffectiveness. It may be due to adolescents lacking cognitive control to resist sensation seeking despite having so much inforamtion on the dangers.

Question 3

According to the UK Department of Transport (2014), why is risk-taking behaviour in adolescents remain to be a serious concern?

Answer 3

• Drivers in the UK aged 16-19 are twice as likely to die in a crash than drivers aged 40-49.
• 23% of 18-24 year olds are involved in a crash within 2 years of passing their driving test.

Question 4

What ideas that the new strategies are based on?

Answer 4

• They are considering that context of situations influences behaviour of adolescents.
• It has been proven that adolescents are more sensitive to social and emotional information, so they are trying to decrease the influence that this has in decision-making.

Question 5

What is one new strategy/intervention?

Answer 5

Graduated Driver Licensing Scheme (GDL). A new driver will be on a probationary period and during these period restrictions such as limits on the number and age of passengers, alcohol consumption, and night-time driving, are put into place.

Question 6

Give examples of what the scheme could look like in the US.

Answer 6

In the US, the probationary restrictions will include a curfew of 10pm and 5am and will be banned from carrying passengers under the age of 30.

Question 7

What are some other restrictions which countries use in the GDL scheme?

Answer 7

Heavy penalties for mobile phone use while driving, lower alcohol limits.

Question 8

In research into the effectiveness of GDL schemes, what did the authors of the UK department of transport find?

Answer 8

• GDL is consistently found to be effective at reducing collisions.
• There are real potential public health benefits of a GDL system for new drivers.
• The effectiveness of individual GDL schemes depends on the number of restrictions implemented and how well they are enforced.

Question 9

According to Kinnear (2013), how much could the UK save by implementing a GDL?

Answer 9

4,471 casualities and £224 million.