Jack is an adolescent that has been known to make some poor choices in his behavior. Most recently, he was caught stealing the answers to an upcoming chemistry exam. When he was caught, the teacher asked why he did it, and he said, "I don't know. I am worried about my grade." Unfortunately, he failed to consider the outcome of cheating which is an automatic failure for the semester. Jack most likely made the poor choice to cheat because ______.
A) his prefrontal cortex developed before the limbic system, producing the hormone melatonin which causes poor impulse control
B) stress from low grades causes a surge of cortisol, which caused him to act impulsively
C) a burst of testosterone interferes with his ability to think clearly when faced with a decision
D) his limbic system developed before his prefrontal cortex, resulting in an emotional response over a reasoned response

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The limbic system, which is responsible for emotions and impulses, develops before the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for reasoning and decision-making. This can result in adolescents like Jack making decisions based on emotions and impulses rather than reasoned responses.

Jack Is an Adolescent That Has Been Known to Make