Riley Is Typically a Rule Follower Who Doesn't Cause Trouble

question 84

Essay

Riley is typically a rule follower who doesn't cause trouble. He's on the football team, has a good reputation, and likes school. In his tenth-grade year, he has started going out with the guys after football games on Friday nights. Now he's breaking rules, taking risks, and doing things that his younger self labeled as stupid and reckless. Based on what we know about brain development, what explains Riley's behaviour?

---

Definitions:

Heredity

The transfer of physical or mental characteristics genetically from one generation to another.

Fraternal Twins

Twins that develop from two different eggs fertilized by two different sperm cells, resulting in siblings that are genetically distinct, similar to regular siblings.

IQ

IQ, or Intelligence Quotient, is a measure of a person's reasoning ability compared to the statistical norm or average for their age, taken as 100.

Heritability Estimate

A statistical measure that indicates how much of the variation in a particular trait within a population can be attributed to genetic differences among individuals.