Adolescents show higher risk taking because reward systems mature earlier than self-control systems. Which term captures this behavior?

• A. Neophilia
• B. Risk taking
• C. Neural pruning
• D. Prefrontal cortex

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that adolescence often shows more risk-taking because the brain’s reward pathways become highly responsive while the self-control system develops more slowly. This imbalance makes rewarding or exciting actions feel especially compelling, so risky choices are more likely to be pursued. The term that best captures this observable pattern is risk taking, simply describing the behavior itself.

Neophilia focuses on a love of novelty, which can contribute but doesn’t name the broader tendency. Neural pruning is a brain development process, not a behavior. The prefrontal cortex is a brain region tied to planning and inhibition, not the behavior being described.