Self-Regulation and Adolescent Decision-Making

Abstract

Adolescence is generally considered a developmental period of increased risk-taking, however, recent research has advocated for a more specific approach to describing decision-making and consideration of information contexts risks occur in. The current study utilizes a task that allows for a behavioral distinction between risk-taking and rational decision-making (i.e., expected value sensitivity). 150 early adolescents between the ages of 10 and 15 participated (Mean age 13.0, 53% female). The study also assessed regulation and reactivity tendencies with both behavioral and self-report measures. Minimal age-related increases in risk-taking were observed. Observed developmental changes in risk-taking were specific to the domain of gains and decreased with development, inconsistent with some theories of adolescent risk-taking. Additionally, with increasing age, adolescents made more adaptive decisions as defined by selecting choices consistent with expected value. This age-related trend was partly explained by a decrease in maladaptive risk-taking with age. There were no developmental differences in adaptive risk-taking. Working memory and numeracy were the most consistent predictors of expected value sensitivity. These findings were present in the gain frame but not the loss frame. Eye-tracking analyses scaffolded these findings as greater attention towards probability (compared to outcomes) was associated with expected value sensitivity. There were several gender differences in decision-making and these differences appear to be accounted for, at least in part, by commensurate differences in working memory, numeracy, and attention allocation during the decision-making task. While there is minimal evidence for approach-related tendencies influencing adolescent decision-making, there is evidence for disrupted attention in the loss frame that may be exacerbated by avoidant tendencies and reduced by regulation tendencies. Overall, adolescents made more rational decisions with age. This finding and predictors of rational decision-making are discussed in relation to existing theories of adolescent development.