Young Adult Brain Development

Has anyone seen the MIT Report on Young Adult Brain Development?

http://hrweb.mit.edu/worklife/youngadult/youngadult.pdf

The intro goes something like this:
"The years from 18 to 25 are a time of stunning accomplishments and chilling risks, as a roller coaster of internal and external changes, including brain changes, propels young adults from adolescence toward full maturity. Yet we are only beginning to understand how and why this all happens—and sometimes doesn’t."

The report goes on to say that there is a dramatic change that takes place in the brain from the ages of 18-25, usually becomes more and more apparent around the ages of 21, 22:

"A large and relatively new body of research is revealing that young adulthood is a time of dramatic change in basic thinking structures, as well as in the brain. Consensus is emerging that an 18-year-old is not the same person she or he will be at 25, just as an 11-year-old is not the same as he or she will be at 18. They don’t look the same, feel the same, think the same, or act the same."

This can particularly be seen in the area of risk taking and decision making:

"With this greater capacity for thinking about future consequences and regulating emotions, young adults have an easier time modulating risk-taking and making decisions about the future, including choices about health, relationships, education, and careers. They can also weigh the impact of their choices on others more effectively, in actions as simple as showing up for appointments on time or as complex as parenting a young child."

All I can say is that this is sooooo true. Twenty-one and twenty-two year olds are, as a whole, much more responsible than 18 & 19 year olds. Last night we had our Dome Dance (our Dorm's formal dance in the Main Building here at Notre Dame), and we had a more than a few IRI-SHenanigans occur as a result.

That being said, I just try to remind myself when I'm dealing with intoxicated 18 and 19 year olds that their brains aren't fully developed yet and they really didn't know what they were getting themselves into. That being said, it makes the experience of dealing with them a little easier to handle and a little funnier, too.