This post was written Patricia Lockwood, Ph.D. and Jo Cutler, Ph.D. with edits from Ruth Pauli, Ph.D.

Adolescence, the transitional phase from childhood dependency to adulthood, is a complex period marked by significant changes in behaviour. Many of these are positive, developing adolescents’ independence, but young people are also more likely to take risks and seek rewarding experiences even if they are dangerous, such as substance use. Theoretical frameworks propose that this heightened risk-taking, impulsivity, and reward-seeking are linked to changes in the brain. Moreover, adolescence is identified as a high-risk period for mental disorders, particularly disruptive behaviour disorders associated with impulsivity. New research suggests that there are also important differences in learning from reward and punishment as we transition from childhood to adolescence, and these may be crucial for understanding this critical life stage.

The complexity of adolescent behaviour poses challenges for researchers. Traditional analysis techniques used in psychology often fall short of capturing underlying psychological processes. In addition, while taking risks, being impulsive, and seeking positive experiences are related behaviours, there is evidence linking them to different brain systems and distinct psychological processes. Previous research also often relied on questionnaires. In other areas of psychology, researchers have begun to use data science techniques that look at adolescents’ choices in simple games. Researchers can use these choices to decode how much adolescents learn from receiving rewards, such as small amounts of money or seeing smiling faces on the screen, and how much they........

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