The Teen and Expert Brain..... The August-September edition of Scientific American Mind magazine has an intriguing report on the TEEN BRAIN by Leslie Sabbagh.
Understanding the capabilities and limitations of the brain at different developmental stages is crucial for education and psychological assessment. Ironically, although the teenage years are widely recognized as a period of tremendous growth and change, the mental capabilities of teens have been less studied than those of children or adults.
As more work is completed, it is becoming apparent that society should not be fooled into thinking that a teen has the mental prowess of an adult just because he or she looks and, most of the time, behaves like one. Brain processes that support cognitive control of behavior are not yet mature. Add stressors to the mix—like a sudden highway jam—and a teen can be an accident waiting to happen.
When teenagers perform certain tasks, their prefrontal cortex, which handles decision making, is working much harder
than the same region in adults facing the same circumstances. The teen brain also makes less use of other regions that could help out. Under challenging conditions, adolescents may assess
and react less efficiently than adults.
Also, the August edition of Scientific American suggests studies of the mental processes of chess grandmasters have revealed clues to how people become experts in other fields.
The article suggests EFFORTFUL STUDY is the key to achieving success in chess, classical music, soccer and many other fields. New research has indicated that motivation is a more important factor than innate ability.
 Scientific American: The Expert Mind [ PSYCHOLOGY AND BRAIN SCIENCE ]
Related Links:
Scientific American Mind
Scientific American
 Scientific Amercian Podcast - August 30 2006 - The Teen Brain
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