Open Mind,
Journal Year:
2025,
Volume and Issue:
9, P. 540 - 558
Published: Jan. 1, 2025
ABSTRACT
Adolescence
is
a
period
of
escalated
rates
risk
taking
and
dynamic
social
landscape
with
peers
on
an
important
role
in
shaping
one’s
decisions.
Choosing
to
engage
rarely
impacts
only
the
decision
maker,
but
also
those
around
them.
With
cohort
typically
developing
adolescent
young
adult
friend
dyads
(N
=
128,
11–22
years),
current
study
investigates
how
peer-relevant
contexts
influence
preferences
at
different
ages
using
computational
making
task.
We
adapted
expected
utility
model
account
for
weighing
friend’s
outcome
as
part
calculation
when
deciding
between
assigning
risky
option
oneself
or
friend.
Compared
participants’
baseline
absent
any
involvement,
we
found
age-related
changes
preferred
can
be
assigned
not
both.
Exploratory,
data-driven
analyses
behavioral
measures
computationally
derived
preference
parameter
revealed
that
overall,
early
adolescence
which
individuals
more
weight
their
friends’
outcomes
were
willing
forego
personal
benefits
greater
extent.
Active
observation
by
friends
had
no
additional,
age-dependent
impact
choices.
These
results
indicate
sensitivity
evoking
prosocial
gestures
are
costly
oneself.
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience,
Journal Year:
2019,
Volume and Issue:
40, P. 100733 - 100733
Published: Nov. 6, 2019
The
past
decade
has
seen
the
emergence
of
use
reinforcement
learning
models
to
study
developmental
change
in
value-based
learning.
It
is
unclear,
however,
whether
these
computational
modeling
studies,
which
have
employed
a
wide
variety
tasks
and
model
variants,
reached
convergent
conclusions.
In
this
review,
we
examine
tuning
parameters
that
govern
different
aspects
decision-making
processes
vary
consistently
as
function
age,
what
neurocognitive
changes
may
account
for
differences
parameter
estimates
across
development.
We
explore
patterns
are
better
described
by
extent
individuals
adapt
their
statistics
environments,
or
more
static
biases
emerge
varied
contexts.
focus
specifically
on
rates
inverse
temperature
estimates,
find
evidence
from
childhood
adulthood,
become
at
optimally
weighting
recent
outcomes
during
diverse
contexts
less
exploratory
decision-making.
provide
recommendations
how
two
possibilities
—
potential
alternative
accounts
can
be
tested
directly
build
cohesive
body
research
yields
greater
insight
into
development
core
processes.
Reinforcement
Learning
(RL)
models
have
revolutionized
the
cognitive
and
brain
sciences,
promising
to
explain
behavior
from
simple
conditioning
complex
problem
solving,
shed
light
on
developmental
individual
differences,
anchor
processes
in
specific
mechanisms.
However,
RL
literature
increasingly
reveals
contradictory
results,
which
might
cast
doubt
these
claims.
We
hypothesized
that
many
contradictions
arise
two
commonly-held
assumptions
about
computational
model
parameters
are
actually
often
invalid:
That
generalize
between
contexts
(e.g.
tasks,
models)
they
capture
interpretable
(i.e.
unique,
distinctive)
neurocognitive
processes.
To
test
this,
we
asked
291
participants
aged
8–30
years
complete
three
learning
tasks
one
experimental
session,
fitted
each.
found
some
(exploration
/
decision
noise)
showed
significant
generalization:
followed
similar
trajectories,
were
reciprocally
predictive
tasks.
Still,
generalization
was
significantly
below
methodological
ceiling.
Furthermore,
other
(learning
rates,
forgetting)
did
not
show
evidence
of
generalization,
sometimes
even
opposite
trajectories.
Interpretability
low
for
all
parameters.
conclude
systematic
study
context
factors
reward
stochasticity;
task
volatility)
will
be
necessary
enhance
generalizability
interpretability
models.
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience,
Journal Year:
2022,
Volume and Issue:
55, P. 101106 - 101106
Published: April 22, 2022
During
adolescence,
youth
venture
out,
explore
the
wider
world,
and
are
challenged
to
learn
how
navigate
novel
uncertain
environments.
We
investigated
performance
changes
across
adolescent
development
in
a
stochastic,
volatile
reversal-learning
task
that
uniquely
taxes
balance
of
persistence
flexibility.
In
sample
291
participants
aged
8-30,
we
found
mid-teen
years,
adolescents
outperformed
both
younger
older
participants.
developed
two
independent
cognitive
models,
based
on
Reinforcement
learning
(RL)
Bayesian
inference
(BI).
The
RL
parameter
for
from
negative
outcomes
BI
parameters
specifying
participants'
mental
models
were
closest
optimal
adolescents,
suggesting
central
role
processing.
By
contrast,
noise
improved
monotonically
with
age.
distilled
insights
using
principal
component
analysis
three
shared
components
interacted
form
peak:
adult-like
behavioral
quality,
child-like
time
scales,
developmentally-unique
processing
positive
feedback.
This
research
highlights
adolescence
as
neurodevelopmental
window
can
create
advantages
It
also
shows
detailed
be
gleaned
by
new
ways.
As
individuals
learn
through
trial
and
error,
some
are
more
influenced
by
good
outcomes,
while
others
weight
bad
outcomes
heavily.
Such
valence
biases
may
also
influence
memory
for
past
experiences.
Here,
we
examined
whether
asymmetries
in
reinforcement
learning
change
across
adolescence,
individual
bias
the
content
of
subsequent
memory.
Participants
ages
8–27
learned
values
‘point
machines,’
after
which
their
trial-unique
images
presented
with
choice
was
assessed.
Relative
to
children
adults,
adolescents
overweighted
worse-than-expected
during
learning.
Individuals’
modulated
incidental
memory,
such
that
those
who
prioritized
worse-
(or
better-)
than-expected
were
likely
remember
paired
these
an
effect
reproduced
independent
dataset.
Collectively,
results
highlight
age-related
changes
computation
subjective
value
demonstrate
a
valence-asymmetric
valuation
process
influences
how
information
is
episodic
Nature Communications,
Journal Year:
2021,
Volume and Issue:
12(1)
Published: June 22, 2021
Adolescents
are
prone
to
social
influence
from
peers,
with
implications
for
development,
both
adaptive
and
maladaptive.
Here,
using
a
computer-based
paradigm,
we
replicate
cross-sectional
effect
of
more
susceptibility
peer
in
large
dataset
adolescents
14
24
years
old.
Crucially,
extend
this
finding
by
adopting
longitudinal
perspective,
showing
that
within-person
decreases
over
1.5
year
follow-up
time
period.
Exploiting
design,
show
influences
at
baseline
predicts
an
improvement
relations
the
Using
Bayesian
computational
model,
demonstrate
younger
greater
tendency
adopt
others'
preferences
arises
out
higher
uncertainty
about
their
own
paradigmatic
case
delay
discounting
(a
phenomenon
called
'preference
uncertainty').
This
preference
and,
turn,
leads
reduced
one's
behaviour
others.
Neuro-developmentally,
measure
myelination
within
medial
prefrontal
cortex,
estimated
baseline,
developmental
decrease
follow-up.
Thus,
neural
evidence,
reveal
mechanisms
underpinning
during
adolescence.
Trends in Cognitive Sciences,
Journal Year:
2023,
Volume and Issue:
27(7), P. 642 - 655
Published: May 16, 2023
Adolescence
is
a
period
of
heightened
affective
and
social
sensitivity.
In
this
review
we
address
how
increased
sensitivity
influences
associative
learning.
Based
on
recent
evidence
from
human
rodent
studies,
as
well
advances
in
computational
biology,
suggest
that,
compared
to
other
age
groups,
adolescents
show
features
Pavlovian
learning
but
tend
perform
worse
than
adults
at
instrumental
Because
does
not
involve
decision-making,
whereas
does,
propose
that
these
developmental
differences
might
be
due
rewards
threats
adolescence,
coupled
with
lower
specificity
responding.
We
discuss
the
implications
findings
for
adolescent
mental
health
education.