Psikosis
Explorer
Developmental insights
From a neurodevelopmental perspective, the human brain is done developing by age 25. The brain remains plastic to varying degrees throughout the lifespan, depending on various genetic and epigenetic factors unique to the individual. But by 25, a person has a full set of cognitive and emotional skills and abilities common to all persons. There are, of course, exceptions because of genetic problems such as trisomy-21 (Down's Syndrome), substance abuse, and mental illness, among other problems. Adult-like behavior may be present in younger persons who are compelled by culture, hardship, or other circumstance to adopt adult roles, but even these individuals lack the the more nuanced cognitive and emotional abilities that are completed in late adolescence.
That said, hardships such as poverty, may help spur changes in the typical developmental trajectory. For example, it may increase the likelihood of a person developing a significantly altered ability to appraise risk and benefits. This change occurs at the biological level within the brain. That is, it is not something that can be unlearned with a few sessions of psychotherapy or skills training. The result of this change is an increase in impulsive, risk-taking behavior that is similar to what one might expect from a 13 to 16 year-old so the person may appear less mature well into his or her adult years. But it's not a lack of maturity, it's simply that the individual understands the world in a different way.
In sum, there are multiple reasons why it seems people mature more slowly now than in the past. Some are good. As others have noted, we don't demand adult roles of children, for example. Others reflect the consequences of social problems such as poverty and mental illness.
From a neurodevelopmental perspective, the human brain is done developing by age 25. The brain remains plastic to varying degrees throughout the lifespan, depending on various genetic and epigenetic factors unique to the individual. But by 25, a person has a full set of cognitive and emotional skills and abilities common to all persons. There are, of course, exceptions because of genetic problems such as trisomy-21 (Down's Syndrome), substance abuse, and mental illness, among other problems. Adult-like behavior may be present in younger persons who are compelled by culture, hardship, or other circumstance to adopt adult roles, but even these individuals lack the the more nuanced cognitive and emotional abilities that are completed in late adolescence.
That said, hardships such as poverty, may help spur changes in the typical developmental trajectory. For example, it may increase the likelihood of a person developing a significantly altered ability to appraise risk and benefits. This change occurs at the biological level within the brain. That is, it is not something that can be unlearned with a few sessions of psychotherapy or skills training. The result of this change is an increase in impulsive, risk-taking behavior that is similar to what one might expect from a 13 to 16 year-old so the person may appear less mature well into his or her adult years. But it's not a lack of maturity, it's simply that the individual understands the world in a different way.
In sum, there are multiple reasons why it seems people mature more slowly now than in the past. Some are good. As others have noted, we don't demand adult roles of children, for example. Others reflect the consequences of social problems such as poverty and mental illness.