Question

Briefly describe brain development that influences the shift in the balance between automatic (emotional) control and deliberate (intelligent) control that extends from adolescence through the emerging adult years.?

Answer 1

Adolescence is a period of increased emotional reactivity. In this stage, brain regions involved in affect generation and regulation undergo structural and functional development. The brain regions which undergoes this development are the limbic system and prefrontal cortex. The brain goes through synaptic rearrangement and myelination in the cerebral cortex which is evident in the frontal lobes, responsible for deliberate actions and systematic thoughts.

The beginning of adulthood is a time for health and strength both mentally and physically. During this age, there are gradual decline in physicality known as senescence.This is due to structural changes in the cerebral cortex which begins in adulthood. The gray matter in the brain thins down due to loss of neurons.  

This is the shift in the balance between automatic (emotional) control and deliberate (intelligent) control from adolescence through the emerging adult years.