Adolescence, Neurocognitive Development, and Motivated Behavior
Oct 2025
07
4:15 pm - 5:15 pm
In this Lecture, Dr. Katie Insel, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Northwestern University, will discuss adolescence as a transitional phase of the lifespan that offers a window into how the mind and brain develop and adapt to changing environments.
This period is characterized by unique opportunities for learning and growth, yet adolescents also face enhanced vulnerability for mental health disorders. How does adolescent brain development shape both adaptive and maladaptive behaviors? In this talk, She will present a series of studies examining how motivated behaviors and the corresponding brain processes develop during adolescence. She will first discuss how adolescent brain development shapes goal-directed behavior and underlying neural circuits. Then, she will demonstrate how adolescents use memory for rewards to guide value-based decision-making and generalization. Finally, she will discuss her ongoing work that characterizes how the neurodevelopment of multiple learning and memory systems guides motivated behavior during adolescence.
Sponsored by: Psi Chi, The Psychology Department and the Center for Chicago Programs
On Campus Accessibility Accommodations:
Contact Kirsten Schramm at 847-735-5167 or kschramm@lakeforest.edu at least 72 hours in advance.
