Question

fear prompts teens to act impulsively
brain activity may help explain why crime peaks during teen years
by laura sanders
2013

teenagers often face the stereotype of being rebellious and impulsive. but can science prove this? a 2013 study suggests that teenagers are impulsive and do not have control of their behavior. this could be a part of their neurological development. as you read the article, take notes on new explanations of teen behavior.

1 a threatened teen may not back down. one reason: the teenage brain appears to undergo a rewiring that can prompt this response to fear. thats the finding of new research presented at a meeting on november 10, 2013. its authors say their findings may help explain why criminal activity peaks during the teen years.

they reported their observations in san diego at the society for neuroscience meeting. (neuroscience deals with the structure or function of the brain and other parts of the nervous system.)

kristina caudle of weill cornell medical college in new york city and her co-workers tested impulse control in 83 people. this is an ability to overcome our emotions so that we dont react in ways we shouldnt. the test volunteers ranged in age from 6 to 29. caudles team asked each to press a button when a photo of a happy face quickly flashed onto a computer screen. the scientists said not to press the button when a threatening face showed up.

people between the ages of 13 and 17 were more likely than at any other age to push the button when shown a face with a threatening expression. this reaction was viewed as evidence of poor impulse control.

5 the scientists wanted some idea of what was happening in the volunteers brains during the tests. so they performed brain scans using what is known as functional magnetic resonance imaging. these scans showed that when people looked at the faces, activity sometimes increased in a brain area called the orbital frontal cortex. in fact, it only increased when

Explanation:

Identify the core scientific question

The text describes an experiment designed to test impulse control across different age groups. The goal is to determine how the study's design and results support the main claim.

Analyze the experimental design

The researchers tested impulse control in 83 participants aged 6 to 29. The task required pressing a button for happy faces but withholding the press (showing impulse control) when a threatening face appeared.

Evaluate the findings

The study found that participants aged 13 to 17 (teenagers) were significantly more likely than other age groups to press the button when shown a threatening face.

Connect findings to the main claim

This behavior demonstrates poorer impulse control in teenagers when facing threat or fear, supporting the article's title that fear prompts teens to act impulsively.

Answer:

Based on the provided text, the scientists tested impulse control by asking 83 volunteers (aged 6 to 29) to press a button when a happy face flashed on a screen, but to avoid pressing it when a threatening face appeared.

The study found that teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 were the most likely to press the button when shown a threatening face. This reaction serves as direct evidence of poorer impulse control in teenagers when reacting to threatening or fear-inducing stimuli.