Week 10: Adolescent Risk Taking Flashcards
That alcohol consumption causes risky sexual activity in adolescents is what type of explanation?
A causal explanation
That the desire to engage in risky sexual behaviour in adolescents causes alcohol consumption is what type of explanation?
A reverse-causal explanation
Risk-taking behaviours in adolescents appear to…
cluster together (illicit substances, sexual activity, risky vehicle use, minor deliquency)
Alcohol diminishes cognitive capacities, distal cues are ignored, simple, salient cues are processed.
This theory is called…
Alcohol myopia theory
‘I’ll be more confident if I drink…’
This is referred to as…
Expectancy theory.
What are the 4 theoretical categories of risk-taking behaviour?
Biological (brain development, hormones)
Psychological (personality, decision making)
Social (family, peers)
Biopsychosocial - all combine
What is it?
Cell bodies involved in muscle control, perception, memory, emotions, speech.
Grey matter (substantia grisea)
What is it?
Composed of nerve fibres
White matter (substantia alba)
An increase in the myelination of neural pathways during adolescence results in…
A faster processing of information.
Approximately half of the synapses per cortical neuron are pruned during adolescence. This is called…
Substantial synaptic pruning
Rather than ‘small and disorganised roads’, the adolescent brain is building…
‘Major highways’
What happens to the grey matter in the brain during adolescence?
It decreases, resulting in advancing of cognitive abilities.
The prefrontal pathways have delayed development during adolescence, while the reward pathways do not, resulting in…
Adolescents taking risks to receive reward without processing their actions cognitively first.
In males, testosterone is linked to what kinds of behaviours?
Earlier and more frequent sexual activity, smoking, drug use, aggression, socially dominating behaviour.
One psychological theory for risk-taking is that the individual is of the Sensation-seeking personality type. What does this mean?
They have a need for novel, varied and complex sensations and experiences.
They have a willingness to take risks to achieve such experiences.
Substance abuse, reckless driving and deliquency is associated with what sort of personality?
Sensation-seeking personality
Some studies show that adolescents who engage is risky behaviour perceive…
less risk than those who do not engage in risky behaviour
What influence can family have on risk-taking behaviour in adolescents?
Parental approval of and modelling of risky behaviour increases risk-taking.
High level of family conflict = risk taking
Explain adolescent decision-making.
Adolescents give greater weight to PROXIMAL (less severe) consequences than DISTAL (potentially more severe) consequences.
eg. condom use
What type of parenting styles is associated with high risk taking behaviour in adolescence?
- uninvolved/neglectful
- Indulgent/permissive parenting
- High authoritative
What parenting style is associated with low risk-taking and responsible risk-taking?
Authoritative with negotiation
Actively choosing friends who are similar is called
selection
The influence that friends have on eachother is called
socialisation
What are 3rd variable explanations for an association between alcohol and risky sexual behaviour?
An avoidant style of coping with negative emotions.
Low impulse control
Thrill seeking
Lifestyle
