Jiamiao Yang & Rotem Broday-Dvir

Neural Mechanisms of Adolescent Social Decision-Making: Insights from Computational Modelling.

NIN-Speaker:

Jiamiao Yang & Rotem Broday-Dvir Social Brain Lab, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Abstract:

Adolescence is an important period when individuals learn to balance competing goals, such as immediate versus future rewards and self- versus other-related outcomes. Recent studies (van de Groep et al., 2023; van Rijn et al., 2024) suggest that younger adolescents display greater impulsivity, particularly when immediate rewards benefit the self rather than others. However, traditional analyses such as the area under the curve cannot disentangle the underlying motivations—self–other versus now–later preferences.
In the present project, we re-analyze the datasets reported in these two studies (together including over 200 adolescents) and apply computational models of choice to separate these motivational dimensions. By linking model-derived parameters with neural activity during decision-making, we aim to provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying adolescent impulsivity and its social context. In this talk, I will present our modeling approach and preliminary findings.