a curvilinear pattern, with peaks in sensation-seeking increasing between 10 and 15 years and declining or remaining stable thereafter. In contrast, age differences in impulsivity followed a linear pattern, with decreasing impulsivity with age in a linear fashion (see Figure 2 panel A). These findings together with the laboratory based findings, suggest heightened vulnerability to risk- taking in adolescence “may be due to the combination of relatively higher inclinations to seek excitement and relatively immature capacities for self-control that are typical of this period of development” 42.
