The adolescent brain strengthens useful connections and cuts unused ones; what is this process called?

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

Answer: (D)

Synaptic pruning is the brain’s process of trimming away rarely used connections while strengthening those that are frequently used. During adolescence, this refinement sharpens thinking and self-control by keeping efficient neural pathways and removing redundant ones, especially in the prefrontal areas that support planning and decision-making. As connections are pruned, the brain becomes faster and more efficient, often in tandem with ongoing myelination that speeds communication between neurons. This explains why adolescence is a time of noticeable improvements in certain cognitive functions as networks are refined. The other options describe a brain region, a personality tendency, or a behavior, none of which capture the refinement process described.