Adolescence is a critical developmental period characterized by neurobiological changes and exposure to novel experiences. According to the Center for Disease Control, approximately 70% of adolescent deaths in the United States are due to risky behaviors such as reckless driving and risky sexual behavior (Kann et al., 2016). In order to better understand what drives adolescent risk-taking, the current studies utilized an interdisciplinary approach, which combined behavioral economic models and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to understand neurobehavioral mechanisms of risky choice. The focus of the current studies is to investigate the extent to which neurobehavioral mechanisms of risky choice change across adolescence, and to identify individual differences that explain real-world risky behavior. In Study 1, we show that behavioral sensitivity to risk and neural correlates of risk processing change across a critical period of adolescence. Importantly, our results indicate that individual differences in neural, not behavioral risk sensitivity are predictive of future engagement in health risk behaviors. In Study 2, we examined the relation between inter-individual differences in adolescent expectations of valued rewards and self-reported risky behavior using an adapted behavioral economic model. Implications and future directions for adolescent risky decision-making are discussed. / Ph. D. / According to the Center for Disease Control, approximately 70% of adolescent deaths in the United States are due to risky behaviors such as reckless driving and risky sexual behavior (Kann et al., 2016). In order to prevent and reduce such risk-taking behavior during adolescence, it is essential to improve our current understanding of the mechanisms contributing to risky decision-making. One promising mechanism that may be critical in guiding adolescents either toward or away from risky behavior is the extent to which adolescents are sensitive to the risk or likelihood of receiving potential rewarding outcomes. To this end, the current work leveraged the used of a longitudinal design with an interdisciplinary approach that combined the use of behavioral economic models, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and developmental psychological theory to better understand how adolescents develop risk sensitivity at both the behavioral and neural levels. Importantly, our results in Study 1 indicated that individual differences in neural, not behavioral risk sensitivity are predictive of future engagement in health risk behaviors. In Study 2, we used an adapted behavioral economic model to identify individual differences in adolescent expectations of valued rewards, and assess the relation of these differences to self-reported risky behavior. This research illuminates the critical role that neurobehavioral risk sensitivity might play during risky decision-making, which may have implications for the prevention and amelioration of adverse health risk behaviors.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/89669 |
| Date | 07 December 2017 |
| Creators | Lauharatanahirun, Nina |
| Contributors | Psychology, Casas, Brooks, Chiu, Pearl H., Kim-Spoon, Jungmeen, Ball, Sheryl B. |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Dissertation, Text |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf, application/pdf |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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