Collectively these studies indicate that although adolescents often reason and behave like adults, in certain contexts there are differences in their cognitive strategy and/or in their response to risk and reward, especially under conditions of heightened emotional arousal. These behavioral changes likely reflect the substantial development of brain networks—including structures in the PFC, basal ganglia, and neuromodulatory systems (e.g. dopamine) — that are critical to motivated behavior (Table 1).
