The period from adolescence through young adulthood is one of great promise and vulnerability. As teenagers approach maturity, they must develop and apply the skills and habits necessary to navigate adulthood and compete in an ever more technological and globalized world. But as parents and researchers have long known, there is a crucial dichotomy between adolescents' cognitive competence and their frequent inability to utilize that competence in everyday decision-making. This volume brings together an interdisciplinary group of leading scientists to examine how the adolescent brain develops, and how this development impacts various aspects of reasoning and decision-making, from the use and function of memory and representation, to judgment, mathematical problem-solving, and the construction of meaning. The contributors ask questions that seek to uncover the basic mechanisms underlying brain development in adolescence, such as: (1) How do the concepts of proof and reasoning emerge?; (2) What is the relationship between cognitive and procedural understanding in problem-solving?; And (3) How can researchers build assessments to capture and describe learning over time? "The Adolescent Brain" raises questions relevant to young people's educational and health outcomes, as well as to neuroscience research. This book begins with a preface by Valerie F. Reyna and "Introduction to The Adolescent Brain: Learning, Reasoning, and Decision Making," by Valerie F. Reyna, Sandra B. Chapman, Michael R. Dougherty, and Jere Confrey. Part I, Foundations, contains: (1) Anatomic Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Developing Child and Adolescent Brain (Jay N. Giedd, Michael Stockman, Catherine Weddle, Maria Liverpool, Gregory L. Wallace, Nancy Raitano Lee, Francois Lalonde, and Rhoshel K. Lenroot). Part ii, Memory, Meaning, and Representation, contains: (2) Semantic and Associative Relations in Adolescents and Young Adults: Examining a Tenuous Dichotomy (Ken McRae, Saman Khalkhali, and Mary Hare); (3) Representation and Transfer of Abstract Mathematical Concepts in Adolescence and Young Adulthood (Jennifer A. Kaminski and Vladimir M. Sloutsky); (4) a Value of Concrete Learning Materials in Adolescence (Kristen P. Blair and Daniel L. Schwartz); and (5) Higher-Order Strategic Gist Reasoning in Adolescence (Sandra B. Chapman, Jacquelyn F. Gamino, and Raksha Anand Mudar). Part iii, Learning, Reasoning, and Problem Solving, contains: (6) Better Measurement of Higher Cognitive Processes Through Learning Trajectories and Diagnostic Assessments in Mathematics: The Challenge in Adolescence (Jere Confrey); (7) Adolescent Reasoning in Mathematical and Nonmathematical Domains: Exploring the Paradox (Eric Knuth, Charles Kalish, Amy Ellis, Caroline Williams, and Mathew D. Felton); (8) Training the Adolescent Brain: Neural Plasticity and the Acquisition of Cognitive Abilities (Sharona M. Atkins, Michael F. Bunting, Donald J. Bolger, and Michael R. Dougherty); and (9) Higher Cognition is Altered by Noncognitive Factors: How Affect Enhances and Disrupts Mathematics Performance in Adolescence and Young Adulthood (Mark H. Ashcraft and Nathan O. Rudig). Part iv, Judgment and Decision Making, contains: (10) Risky Behavior in Adolescents: The Role of the Developing Brain (Adrianna Galvan); (11) Affective Motivators and Experience in Adolescents' Development of Health-Related Behavior Patterns (Sandra L. Schneider and Christine M. Caffray); (12) Judgment and Decision Making in Adolescence: Separating Intelligence From Rationality (Keith E. Stanovich, Richard F. West, and Maggie E. Toplak); and (13) a Fuzzy Trace Theory of Adolescent Risk Taking: Beyond Self-Control and Sensation Seeking (Christina F. Chick and Valerie F. Reyna). Part v, Epilogue, contains: (14) Paradoxes in the Adolescent Brain in Cognition, Emotion, and Rationality (Valerie F. Reyna and Michael R. Dougherty). An index is included This Book Brings Together The Work Of Scientists With Basic Or Foundational Research Expertise (e.g., Cognitive, Developmental, And Social Psychologists; Neuroscientists) And Those With An Applied Emphasis (e.g., On Education; Public Health; Applied Economics And Decision Research; And Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics, The So-called Stem Fields) To Address A Critically Understudied Area In Life-course Learning: Higher Order Cognition In Adolescence And Young Adulthood. The Purpose Of Integrating These Scientific Communities Is Twofold: (a) To Advance The Basic Science Of The Developing Brain By Focusing Scientists On Key Problems That Are Ripe For Groundbreaking Discoveries And (b) To Apply Cutting-edge Theory And High-quality Research Methods To Real-world Problems Of Learning, Cognition, And Development, Thereby Enhancing The Effectiveness Of Research And Its Immediate Relevance To Pressing Societal Needs--preface. Introduction To The Adolescent Brain : Learning, Reasoning, And Decision Making / Valerie F. Reyna [and Others] -- Part I. Foundations -- Ch. 1. Anatomic Magnetic Resonance Imaging Of The Developing Child And Adolescent Brain / Jay N. Giedd [and Others] -- Part Ii. Memory, Meaning, And Representation -- Ch. 2. Semantic And Associative Relations In Adolescents And Young Adults : Examining A Tenuous Dichotomy / Ken Mcrae, Saman Khalkhali, And Mary Hare -- Ch. 3. Representation And Transfer Of Abstract Mathematical Concepts In Adolescence And Young Adulthood / Jennifer A. Kaminski And Vladimir M. Sloutsky -- Ch. 4. A Value Of Concrete Learning Materials In Adolescence / Kristen P. Blair And Daniel L. Schwartz -- Ch. 5. Higher Order Strategic Gist Reasoning In Adolescence / Sandra B. Chapman, Jacquelyn F. Gamino, And Raksha Anand Mudar -- Part Iii. Learning, Reasoning, And Problem Solving -- Ch. 6. Better Measurement Of Higher Cognitive Processes Through Learning Trajectories And Diagnostic Assessments In Mathematics : The Challenge In Adolescence / Jere Confrey -- Ch. 7. Adolescent Reasoning In Mathematical And Nonmathematical Domains : Exploring The Paradox / Eric Knuth [and Others] -- Ch. 8. Training The Adolescent Brain : Neural Plasticity And The Acquisition Of Cognitive Abilities / Sharona M. Atkins [and Others] -- Ch. 9. Higher Cognition Is Altered By Noncognitive Factors : How Affect Enhances And Disrupts Mathematics Performance In Adolescence And Young Adulthood / Mark H. Ashcraft And Nathan O. Rudig -- Part Iv. Judgment And Decision Making -- Ch. 10. Risky Behavior In Adolescents : The Role Of The Developing Brain / Adriana Galván -- Ch. 11. Affective Motivators And Experience In Adolescents' Development Of Health-related Behavior Patterns / Sandra L. Schneider And Christine M. Caffray -- Ch. 12. Judgment And Decision Making In Adolescence : Separating Intelligence From Rationality / Keith E. Stanovich, Richard F. West, And Maggie E. Toplak -- Ch. 13. A Fuzzy Trace Theory Of Adolescent Risk Taking : Beyond Self-control And Sensation Seeking / Christina F. Chick And Valerie F. Reyna -- Part V. Epilogue -- Ch. 14. Paradoxes Of The Adolescent Brain In Cognition, Emotion, And Rationality / Valerie F. Reyna And Michael R. Dougherty. Edited By Valerie F. Reyna ... [et Al.]. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Contents Contributors Preface Introduction to The Adolescent Brain: Learning, Reasoning, and Decision Making Part I Foundations Chapter 1 Anatomic Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Developing Child and Adolescent Brain Part II Memory, Meaning, and Representation Chapter 2 Semantic and Associative Relations in Adolescents and Young Adults: Examining a Tenuous Dichotomy Chapter 3 Representation and Transfer of Abstract Mathematical Concepts in Adolescence and Young Adulthood Chapter 4 A Value of Concrete Learning Materials in Adolescence Chapter 5 Higher Order Strategic Gist Reasoning in Adolescence Part III Learning, Reasoning, and Problem Solving Chapter 6 Better Measurement of Higher Cognitive Processes Through Learning Trajectories and Diagnostic Assessments in Mathematics: The Challenge in Adolescence Chapter 7 Adolescent Reasoning in Mathematical and Nonmathematical Domains: Exploring the Paradox Chapter 8 Training the Adolescent Brain: Neural Plasticity and the Acquisition of Cognitive Abilities Chapter 9 Higher Cognition is Altered by Noncognitive Factors: How Affect Enhances and Disrupts Mathematics Performance in Adolescence and Young Adulthood Part IV Judgment and Decision Making Chapter 10 Risky Behavior in Adolescents: The Role of the Developing Brain Chapter 11 Affective Motivators and Experience in Adolescents’ Development of Health-Related Behavior Patterns Chapter 12 Judgment and Decision Making in Adolescence: Separating Intelligence From Rationality Chapter 13 A Fuzzy Trace Theory of Adolescent Risk Taking: Beyond Self-Control and Sensation Seeking Part V Epilogue Chapter 14 Paradoxes of the Adolescent Brain in Cognition, Emotion, and Rationality Index About the Editors "This book brings together the work of scientists with basic or foundational research expertise (e.g., cognitive, developmental, and social psychologists; neuroscientists) and those with an applied emphasis (e.g., on education; public health; applied economics and decision research; and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the so-called STEM fields) to address a critically understudied area in life-course learning: higher order cognition in adolescence and young adulthood. The purpose of integrating these scientific communities is twofold: (a) to advance the basic science of the developing brain by focusing scientists on key problems that are ripe for groundbreaking discoveries and (b) to apply cutting-edge theory and high-quality research methods to real-world problems of learning, cognition, and development, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of research and its immediate relevance to pressing societal needs"--Preface. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)