AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Because the prefrontal cortex is still developing, teenagers might rely on a part of the brain called the amygdala to make decisions and solve problems more than adults do. The amygdala is associated with emotions, impulses, aggression and instinctive behaviour.

Detailed explanation-2: -Brenhouse and Andersen [13] in a review concluded that the female amygdala reached its maximal volume by the age of 4 and that only a small increase of its gray matter volume could be seen during adolescence, whereas the volume of the male amygdala increased by 53% between 4 and 18 years of age.

Detailed explanation-3: -Recent longitudinal fMRI studies have reported increasing amygdala activation specifically during the transition from late childhood to early adolescence and as a function of pubertal development.

Detailed explanation-4: -When hormones surge in puberty, the amygdala grows in size and becomes more active, leading to rash and emotional behavior. Like a chaperone, the prefrontal cortex regulates the amygdala to ensure socially correct behavior.