Research in neuroscience, psychology, business and economics tells us that a plethora of influences can alter the decisions we make. The author explored some of these factors in a Worldview Stanford course and wrote about them in a Stanford story package, Decisions, Decisions. This post is part of a series on what she learned.
Without revealing my age, I will simply say that I am beyond the teenage years, when risks fail to register and decisions are dominated by reward. But it turns out the person I was then shaped how my brain makes decisions today.
Kathleen Fitzpatrick, MD, a child psychiatrist, says that during our teenage years dramatic changes take place in the brain. Wiring we don’t use dies off and wiring we use heavily flourishes and multiplies, creating new connections and with it new behaviors.
In my story about how age alters decision-making I write:
During this time of brain circuit upheaval, adolescents weigh the pros and cons of decisions differently from adults. They overestimate the rewards of a decision (Fun! Friends!) but don't accurately estimate possible risks (grounding, police).
Our teenage behaviors shape which of those new connections remain. If a behavior is rewarded, those pathways are strengthened. A failed behavior fades into a distant, embarrassing memory.
Read the story for more about both the teenage brain and also the way our decision-making shifts as we get older. Hint: we become less worried, which is something to look forward to.
Previously: Exploring the science of decision making and Exploring the intelligence-gathering and decision-making processes of infants
Video courtesy of Worldview Stanford
