Research reveals teen brain is 'wired' to ignore family

It is notable that the first years of adolescence mark a major change in children's behavior towards their families.

Now, science has confirmed that this "rebellion" is also caused by neural reactions that influence teenagers to seek out new connections.

The University of Stanfordconducted a study to understand the brain and behavioral changes that occur between childhood and adolescence.

Thus, he observed children and adolescents to analyze the neural reactions of these young people. The researchers' discovery was that the teenager's brain does not register the mother's voice in the same way that it did in pre-adolescence.

Around age 13, children stop finding maternal voices rewarding and begin to interact better with unfamiliar voices.

How was the study carried out?

The Stanford School of Medicine team used voice recordings and brain scans to identify the teenagers' neurobiological explanation.

For this, they selected 46 children and adolescents between 7 and 16 years old who were already preparing to undergo medical examinations. Then, they recorded the mothers and unknown people pronouncing random words that were later reproduced for the youngsters.

During the reproduction process, doctors performed magnetic resonance imaging that could indicate that younger children showed greater activity in the brain system when listening to the voices of their mothers.

However, older adolescents showed the opposite effect, with greater activity for the unfamiliar voice compared to maternal speech. Such a change was identified from 13-year-old adolescents.

(Image: Freepik/Playback)

Brain changes during adolescence

For Daniel Abrams, one of the researchers responsible for the study: “The teenager is not fully aware that he is doing this. He is simply being himself: he has friends and new companions and he wants to spend time with them. His mind is more and more sensitive and is attracted by these unknown voices”.

Although the study points to a change in brain functioning, the result does not mean that teenage children stop hearing their parents' voices.

Such young people just develop the ability to interact with new people. The Moment of Rebellion teenagers, in fact, represents a neurobiological response that prepares children to seek connections outside the family environment.