Resource Library
The Science Behind Adolescent Risk Taking and Exploration
December 20, 2019 | Filed in: BriefAdolescents are generally more likely to lean into risk and uncertainty than children or adults—and that’s a good thing.
STUDY: The Need to Contribute During Adolescence
November 15, 2019 | Filed in: Relevant StudiesAdolescents are increasingly capable of making meaningful contributions to others. Contributing in substantive ways promotes the autonomy, identity, and relationship skills adolescents are developing. This article from Perspectives on Psychological Science looks at the neural and biological foundations of the need to contribute, and how social environments can provide opportunities for young…
STUDY: Understanding Adolescence as a Period of Social-affective Engagement and Goal Flexibility
November 15, 2019 | Filed in: Relevant StudiesIn this 2012 Nature article, the authors provide evidence that the changes in social and emotional processing during adolescence that underlie vulnerabilities such as risk taking can also be adaptive in the face of the rapidly changing social contexts of these years.
STUDY: Why Interventions to Influence Adolescent Behavior Often Fail but Could Succeed
November 15, 2019 | Filed in: Relevant StudiesTraditional programs to encourage healthy behavior are not always effective and can even be counter-productive during adolescence. The authors review evidence that effective preventive interventions for middle adolescents (ages 13 to 17) often harness adolescents heightened sensitivity to respect and status.
STUDY: Importance of Investing in Adolescence from a Developmental Science Perspective
September 30, 2019 | Filed in: Relevant StudiesIn this Research Perspective for Nature, our Founding Director Dr. Ron Dahl, along with advisory board members Nick Allen and Linda Wilbrecht and our first director, Ahna Suleiman, apply developmental science to make the case for global investment in the health and well-being of adolescents. The authors explain how understanding developmental science, such as the way puberty changes some aspects…
Thinking “Developmentally”
August 29, 2019 | Filed in: BriefIt’s important to keep a developmental perspective when talking about adolescence. Here’s a brief summary of what it means to think developmentally. At the UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent, we believe it is important to think developmentally about adolescence. Thinking developmentally means recognizing that adolescence is a time of unique capacities, motivations, and contexts,…
6 Fast Facts About Adolescent Development
August 29, 2019 | Filed in: Fact SheetRapid social learning, increased sensitivity to respect, and a drive toward new experiences are just a few of the factors that make adolescence a key window of opportunity. We review these research-based factors and a few more in this quick overview.
The Developing Adolescent Brain
August 29, 2019 | Filed in: Fact SheetOur brains during adolescence are hungry for new experiences that will provide the skills and learning we need to thrive as adults.
Autonomy and Connection
August 29, 2019 | Filed in: GuideClose relationships with trusted adults during adolescence provide the stability we need to be autonomous and connected to others. Increasing agency over our own lives is an important part of growing up. During adolescence, we learn to regulate our emotions, form and express our own opinions, and manage our own health, finances, and careers. But this increasing autonomy doesn’t mean going it…
What the Science Tells Us About Parenting an Adolescent
August 23, 2019 | Filed in: Fact SheetUnderstanding how parental influence shifts in adolescence can help parents, youth-serving professionals, and policymakers support families in ways that bolster the well-being of young people as they transition from childhood to adulthood. Note: This overview focuses on “parents” because most research on adolescent-family relationships has studied mothers and fathers. However, the findings are…