The Case for Social Emotional Learning in Adolescence: A Neurological Perspective Rupa Mahajan Robbins, M.A. University of California, Berkeley
The Case for Social Emotional Learning in Adolescence: A Neurological Perspective
Rupa Mahajan Robbins, M.A.University of California, Berkeley
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Outline of Presentation
1. Overview of adolescence
2. Adolescent cognitive development and the neurological bases of behaviors common in adolescence– Risk-taking – Reward-seeking – Emotion regulation
3. Social emotional learning (SEL) as a method for intervention in adolescence
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Adolescence: A Time of Change
• Defined as the period between puberty and adulthood
• Physical, social, and emotional changes
• More time with friends, less time with family
• High levels of risky behavior associated with poor impulse control
(Tilton-Weaver&Kakihara,2007;Somervilleetal.,2013;Barnesetal.,2007;Wang,IannoA,&Nansel,2009;Smithetal.,2007)
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Risky Behavior in Adolescence
(Dahl,2004;CenterforDiseaseControl,2014)
• Results of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (2013)– 35 % had consumed alcohol– 23 % had used marijuana– 16 % had smoked cigarettes– 47 % had been sexually active
• 8% of participants of the survey had attempted suicide in the past 12 months.
• Morbidity and mortality rates increase by 200%
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• Increased importance on peers
• Studies on peer relationships have demonstrated…– Heightened social sensitivity
– Peer acceptance highly desirable
– Positive effects of pro-social relationships
Peer Relationships in Adolescence
(WentzelandErdley,1993;Somerville,2013)
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The Transition to Middle School
(EcclesandRoesner,2009;GoPried,Fleming,&GoPried,2001)
• Motivational declines
• Lower grades
• Lower confidence in intellectual abilities
• Decreased attention in school
• Decreased self-esteem
• More test anxiety
• Organizational challenges
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1. General cognitive development in adolescence
2. The dual systems modela. Neural basis for risk-
takingb. Neural basis for reward-
seekingc. Neural basis for emotion
regulation
The Adolescent Brain
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Cognitive Development in Adolescence
(Steinberg,2014)
• The plasticity of the adolescent brain is second only to the plasticity of the infant brain.
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Dual Systems Model
(Smith,Chein,&Steinberg,2013;Steinberg,2005)
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Dual Systems Model
(Smith,Chein,&Steinberg,2013;Steinberg,2005)
Processingrewards
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Dual Systems Model
(Smith,Chein,&Steinberg,2013;Steinberg,2005)
EvaluaWonofRisk
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Dual Systems Model
(Smith,Chein,&Steinberg,2013;Steinberg,2005)
EvaluaWonofRisk
Processingrewards
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Dual Systems Model
(Smith,Chein,&Steinberg,2013;Steinberg,2005)
EmoWonRegulaWon
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Neural Basis of Reward Seeking in Adolescence
(Schultz,2000;Lunaetal.,2013;Smith,Steinberg,Strang&Chein,2014)
• Reward circuitry: striatum, amgydala, and orbitofrontal cortex (adolescent salient)
• Spike in dopamine during adolescence
• Studies on reward processing in adolescents:– An increase in ventral striatum activity in adolescents in
comparison with adults
– Importance of social context on reward-processing during adolescence.
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Neural Basis of Risk-Taking Behavior
(Steinbergetal.,2008)
• Risk-taking is the result of the decision making process.
• Risk-evaluation circuitry: prefrontal cortex (age-linear)
• One comprehensive study shows that inclinations toward risky behavior spike between the ages of 13 and 16
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Neural Basis of Emotion Regulation and Social Awareness
(Thompson,1998;Blakemore,2008)
• Socio-affective neural circuitry– Emotions and social cues: amygdala, striatum (overactive)
– Decisions and reason: Ventromedial and lateral prefrontal cortices regulate decisions related to emotional responses (underdeveloped)
• Adolescents experience more intense emotions than adults
• Emotional intensity varies depending on social context– Social hypersensitivity
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We know...
• Adolescents are facing significant challenges in the transition to middle school.
• Adolescents are engaging in high levels of risky behavior and have high rates of mortality and morbidity.
• The dual systems model suggests vulnerability to risk and reward, social hypersensitivity, and heightened emotional responses.
• So, what should we do to support adolescents?
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Social Emotional Learning: The Missing Link
(CASEL,2013)
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How can SEL support adolescents?
Competency VulnerabilityAddressed
(Dymnicki,Sambolt,&Kidron,2013)
2.Self-regula;on EmoWonregulaWon;increasedhormonalacWvity,heightenedemoWonalresponses
3.Responsibledecision-making
SuscepWbilitytomakingdecisionsbasedonaffecWveresponsesorrewards
1.Self-awareness EmoWonregulaWon;heightenedemoWonalresponses
4.Social-awareness SocialhypersensiWvity,difficultytakingothers’perspecWves
5.Rela;onshipskills Increasedrelianceonpeers;socialhypersensiWvity
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SEL Works!
• SELcurriculavaryinthenumberoflessons,thecompetenciestheytarget,andtheapproachthattheytake.
• EvidencesuggeststhatSELcanposiWvelyimpactstudentandschooloutcomes:• 11percenWlepointimprovementinacademic
achievement• Increasesinpro-socialbehaviors• ImprovementsinemoWonregulaWon• Be`erclassroombehavior• IncreasedWmeontask
(Durlaketal,2011)
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Questions? • Contact Rupa Robbins at [email protected]
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References
Albert,D.,Chein,J.,&Steinberg,L.(2013).Theteenagebrain:Peerinfluencesonadolescentdecisionmaking.CurrentDirec+onsinPsychologicalScience,22,114–120.doi:10.1177/0963721412471347Blakemore,S.J.(2008).Thesocialbraininadolescence.NatureReviewsNeuroscience,9,267–277.doi:10.1038/nrn2353CenterforDiseaseControlandPrevenWon.(2014).Youthriskbehaviorsurveillance–UnitedStates,2013.Retrievedfromh`p://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/ss/ss6304.pdfCools,R.(2008).RoleofdopamineinthemoWvaWonalandcogniWvecontrolofbehavior.TheNeuroscien+st,14,381–395.doi:10.1177/1073858408317009CollaboraWveforAcademic,Social,andEmoWonalLearning(2013e).WhatisSEL?Retrievedfromh`ps://casel.squarespace.com/social-and-emoWonal-learning/
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References
Dahl,R.E.(2004).Adolescentbraindevelopment:AperiodofvulnerabiliWesandopportuniWes.KeynoteAddress.AnnalsoftheNewYorkAcademyofSciences,1021,1–22.doi:10.1196/annals.1308.001Durlak,J.A.,Weissberg,R.P.,Dymnicki,A.B.,Taylor,R.D.,&Schellinger,K.B.(2011).Theimpactofenhancingstudents’socialandemoWonallearning:Ameta-analysisofschool-baseduniversalintervenWons.ChildDevelopment,82,405–432.doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01564.xDymnicki,A.,Sambolt,M.,&Kidron,Y.(2013).ImprovingcollegeandcareerreadinessbyincorporaWngsocialandemoWonallearning.Retrievedfromh`p://www.ccrscenter.org/products-resources/improving-college-and-career-readiness-incorporaWng-social-and-emoWonalEccles,J.S.,&Roesner,R.W.(2009).Schools,academicmoWvaWon,andstage-environmentfit.InR.M.Lerner&L.Steinberg(Eds.),Handbookofadolescentpsychology(pp.404–434).Hoboken,NJ:JohnWiley&Sons.Luna,B.,Paulsen,D.J.,Padmanabhan,A.,&Geier,C.(2013).Theteenagebrain:CogniWvecontrolandmoWvaWon.CurrentDirec+onsinPsychologicalScience,22,94–100.doi:10.1177/0963721413478416
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Roeser,R.W.,&Eccles,J.S.(1998).Adolescents’percepWonsofmiddleschool:RelaWontolongitudinalchangesinacademicandpsychologicaladjustment.ResearchonAdolescence,8,123–158.doi:10.1207/s15327795jra0801_6Schultz,W.(2000).MulWplerewardsignalsinthebrain.NatureReviewsNeuroscience,1,199–207.doi:10.1038/35044563Smith,A.R.,Steinberg,L.,Strang,N.,&Chein,J.(2014).Agedifferencesintheimpactofpeersonadolescents’andadults’neuralresponsetoreward.DevelopmentalCogni+veNeuroscience.doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2014.08.010Somerville,L.H.(2013).Theteenagebrain:SensiWvitytosocialevaluaWon.CurrentDirec+onsinPsychologicalScience,22,121–127.doi:10.1177/0963721413476512Somerville,L.H.,Jones,R.M.,Ruberry,E.J.,Dyke,J.P.,Glover,G.,&Casey,B.J.(2013).Themedialprefrontalcortexandtheemergenceofself-consciousemoWoninadolescence.PsychologicalScience,24,1554–1562.doi:10.1177/0956797613475633
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