Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, WC1N 3HT United Kingdom; email:
Annu Rev Psychol. 2014;65:187-207. doi: 10.1146/annurev-psych-010213-115202. Epub 2013 Sep 6.
Adolescence is a period of formative biological and social transition. Social cognitive processes involved in navigating increasingly complex and intimate relationships continue to develop throughout adolescence. Here, we describe the functional and structural changes occurring in the brain during this period of life and how they relate to navigating the social environment. Areas of the social brain undergo both structural changes and functional reorganization during the second decade of life, possibly reflecting a sensitive period for adapting to one's social environment. The changes in social environment that occur during adolescence might interact with increasing executive functions and heightened social sensitivity to influence a number of adolescent behaviors. We discuss the importance of considering the social environment and social rewards in research on adolescent cognition and behavior. Finally, we speculate about the potential implications of this research for society.
青春期是一个形成性的生物和社会过渡时期。在这个时期，个体在处理日益复杂和亲密的人际关系方面的社会认知过程仍在不断发展。在这里，我们描述了在这一人生阶段大脑中发生的功能和结构变化，以及它们与社交环境的关系。在生命的第二个十年期间，社交大脑的区域经历了结构变化和功能重组，这可能反映了一个适应社会环境的敏感时期。青春期发生的社会环境变化可能与不断增强的执行功能和更高的社会敏感性相互作用，从而影响许多青少年的行为。我们讨论了在青少年认知和行为研究中考虑社会环境和社会奖励的重要性。最后，我们推测了这项研究对社会的潜在影响。
