New York Times features results of teen brain study

Why do good kids make bad decisions when they are with friends? New research from Temple suggests that the presence of peers has a distinct effect on brain signals involving risk and reward. "The lesson is that if you have a kid whom you think of as very mature and able to exercise good judgment, based on your observations when he or she is alone or with you, that doesn't necessarily generalize to how he or she will behave in a group of friends without adults around," said Temple psychologist Laurence Steinberg.
Feb. 3, 2011 | New York Times