卡許菲雅拉曼: 冒險如何改變青少年的大腦

冒險如何改變青少年的大腦

為什麼青少年有時候會做出無法無天、冒險的選擇？他們是突然變得很魯莾嗎？或者這只是他們的必經階段？為了找出答案，卡許菲雅拉曼——英特爾國際科技展覽會的贏家以及哈佛大學新鮮人——設計並執行了一項實驗，來測試高中學生對風險怎麼反應、習慣，以及風險如何改變他們正在發展中的大腦。她對於風險和決策的發現，可能會改變我們對於青少年為什麼有這些作為的看法。

Teenagers become more prone to risky behaviors not just because their brains are still developing, but because repeated exposure to risk actually shifts their emotional responses. A high school experiment with 86 students showed that the more teens faced risky choices, the less fear and guilt they felt, making them likelier to take even bolder risks. This process, called habituation, physically alters how the brain reacts to danger and temptation. Understanding this shift can help parents, educators, and teens address the roots of escalating risk, not just the symptoms.