Assignment #7
Human
Development
Sam 17
Decision I believe Sam’s decision would be
to join his friends for a drink, even
at a time when it would not be a
good idea. Many teenagers try
drugs that activate the brain. This
includes alcohol, cigarettes,
prescription pills, and more
(Berger, 2016).
Conside Due to Sam’s age, I believe his
red decision making would have been
quick and without much
consideration. I believe this
Drink
Jerry 22 Pat 32
I believe Jerry’s decision I believe Pat would have
would have been to go out decided to not go drink
with his friends. My reasoning with her friends. Risky
behind this conclusion is
behaviors begin to
because of his age group. Jerry
is in emerging adulthood. This decline every year from
is a time when risky behavior age 20 to 30. Pat is older
is more favorable. Emerging than 30. Adults between
adults are open to new the ages of 25 to 65 tend
experiences and have to only use drugs that
adventuresome spirits. The are needed at the correct
urge of social connection is
strong (Berger, 2016). doses and avoid others.
Something that also stands out A benefit of growing
to me when considering what older is wisdom
Jerry would decide is due to regarding drug use.
his age I assume he could be in Adults tend to take
college. Studies have shown better care of
that colleges tend to involve
themselves, stop abusing
excessive consumption of
alcohol. Even despite colleges drugs, improve nutrition,
trying to diminish it. It also and exercise regularly
more frequent for college (Berger, 2016).
students during emerging
adulthood to drink than people
the same age who are not in
college. A study even found
that 25 percent of male college
students had consumed more
than 10 drinks within the two
week period prior to the study
(Berger, 2016). As you can see
there are a lot of factors to
consider.
According to ​Invitation t the At this age I think what
Life Span​, at Jerry’s age would be taken under
emerging adults have a consideration are a lot of
willingness to take risks. factors. If Pat knew it

Development
because adolescents tend to use
intuitive processing versus analytic.
Their decisions are generally not
thought out and are made very
quick.
Kind of I believe the kind of thinking used
Thinkin here is intuitive thinking. In
g adolescence, intuitive thinking
tends to be more common than in
adulthood.Intuitive thinking is a
thought that arises from an
emotion, hunch, or gut feeling. This
thought is influenced by past
experiences and cultural
assumptions. The lack of brain
maturity also tilts adolescents more
towards this type of thinking. They
make decisions based on what is
more personal, emotional, or
experimental. Using intuitive
thinking does not include weighing
alternatives or thinking out
possibilities. (Berger, 2016).
Human
Abusing drugs is among one of
the most common (Berger,
2016). I believe Jerry at his
age would have considered his
options. At his age he should
become more adaptive in
decision making and have the
ability to predict future
consequences based on past
experiences (Taber-Thomas &
Perez-Edgar, 2015). However,
if he did not have a previous
bad experience, he might not
see a point in not going. Im
sure he weighed his options
out but ultimately would have
decided to go.
I am sure the a dual-process
model of cognition could have
taken place here. This is where
the human brain has both
intuitive and analytical
processing. Adults are more
practical and flexible, finding a
way to combine intuitive and
analytic thinking (Berger,
2016). This would mean that
Jerry could have slightly
weighed out his options but
still made a decision based on
a hunch or feeling.
Assignment #7
was not going to be a
good idea, at her
maturity level, I believe
she would have
declined. Unless she was
an addict, I do not feel
she would be
particularly drawn to
this situation. According
to​ Invitation to the Life
Span, ​adults who believe
in health benefits
associated to alcohol do
drink in moderation
(Berger, 2016).
Post-formal thought a an
adult stage of cognitive
development that is
more practical, flexible,
and dialectical than
previous cognition.
Analytic thinking is
much more common the
older a person is. I
believe post-formal as
well as analytic thinking
could have taken place
in this decision making
process. Analytic
thinking can be
described as a thought
that results from
analysis of pros and
cons, risks and
consequences,
possibilities, and facts.
This includes logic and
rationality (Berger,
2016).

Development
Fables In this case, I believe the
or invincibility fable would be at play.
Fallacie This is a fantasy that a person
s cannot be harmed or defeated by
anything that might defeat a normal
person. It is viewed that a person
cannot be defeated by unprotected
sex, drug abuse, or speeding.
(Berger, 2016).
Brain In adolescence, the brain has a
Develop discrepancy between the maturation
ment of the limbic system and of the
prefrontal cortex. The limbic
system matures before regions of
the brain associated with planning,
emotional regulation, and impulse
control do (Berger, 2016). Due to
the parts of the brain dedicated to
analysis being immature,
adolescents make decisions based
on impulses that would shame
adults. Neurodevelopmental models
have shown adolescence is marked
by the development of brain
systems involved in
social-emotional functioning
(Taber-Thomas & Perez-Edgar,
2015).
Social & A social factor that can cause
emotion differences in the decision making
al process would be peer pressure.
Adolescents heavily depend on
relationships. It is also important
for them to feel like they fit in with
Human
For Jerry, a stereotype threat
could have been at play.
Which is where a person
worries that other people might
judge them. That a person’s
appearance or behavior might
confirm another person’s
attitudes. These false beliefs
harm them (Berger, 2016).
During this age, studies have
found that brain development
structure is changing through
myelination, pruning of
synapses, and the formation of
new connections. The brain
maturation and development
support psychological
demands for individuals to
increase future-oriented
behavior and decrease risky
decision making
(Taber-Thomas &
Perez-Edgar, 2015).
A social factor that can cause
differences in the decision
making process could be
stereotypes. Emotionally, all
four identity statuses are still
in place at this time (Berger,
Assignment #7
I do not believe there
would have been any
fallacies involved for
Pat. However, If I had to
think of anything that
would be a false way to
make a decision it would
be bad coping
mechanisms. If she had
a bad coping
mechanism, such as
avoidant coping, she
could have said yes. If
she had better coping
mechanisms she would
have said no.
Studies have provided
that brain maturation
continues well into the
fourth decade of life,
particularly with white
matter volume
(Taber-Thomas &
Perez-Edgar, 2015).
I believe this is the time
of a person’s life when
they are closer to their
families and not as
driven to make new
friends. They have kept

Development
their peers. Peer pressure is when
peers push others to use drugs,
break laws, and so on. However,
some peers can be more helpful
than harmful in a overwhelming or
stressful situation. So in a way,
peer pressure can help sway Sam to
either go and participate in drinking
or to avoid the situation all
together. Depending on who he is
around of course. The peers who
are the most influential to the
adolescent are the ones that are
there at the moment the situation is
introduced (Berger, 2016). What
can cause differences in the
decision process emotionally can
depend on the specific way Sam
copes with identity crisis. Whether
it be with role confusion,
foreclosure, moratorium, or identity
achievement (Berger, 2016). I
believe that would definitely
impact the decision making
process.
Human
2016). This could affect the
decision making process.
Assignment #7
the same friends
throughout the years,
and usually bounce
advice off eachother.
There are no real social
pressures in my opinion.
Emotionally, there are
life stressors that can
affect the
decision-making
process. Of course, if the
stressors are handled
accordingly then I doubt
there will be negative
decisions, such as
alcohol consumption.
 Assignment #7
Human
Development
References:

Berger, K. S. (2016). Invitation to the Life Span. New York, NY: Rachel Losh

Taber-Thomas, Bradley & Perez-Edgar, Koraly. (2015) Emerging Adulthood Brain

Development. Retrieved
from:​https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276026110_Emerging_Adulthood_Brain_Develo
pment