Age differences in the impact of peers on adolescents' and adults' neural response to reward.

ABSTRACT: Prior research suggests that increased adolescent risk-taking in the presence of peers may be linked to the influence of peers on the valuation and processing of rewards during decision-making. The current study explores this idea by examining how peer observation impacts the processing of rewards when such processing is isolated from other facets of risky decision-making (e.g. risk-perception and preference, inhibitory processing, etc.). In an fMRI paradigm, a sample of adolescents (ages 14-19) and adults (ages 25-35) completed a modified High/Low Card Guessing Task that included rewarded and un-rewarded trials. Social context was manipulated by having participants complete the task both alone and while being observed by two, same-age, same-sex peers. Results indicated an interaction of a

SUBMITTER: Smith AR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4324356 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature