Why your teen may be a rebel

Research shows a child’s poor decision-making skills portend later behavioural problems

NEW YORK: A recent study had found children who show poor decision-making skills as early as 10 or 11 years of age are more likely to indulge in high-risk health behaviour during their teenage years.

The research helmed by Joshua Weller, assistant professor at the Oregon State University said, “These findings suggest that less-refined decision skills early in life could potentially be a harbinger for problem behaviour in the future.”  However, if poor decision-making patterns can be identified while children are still young, parents, educators and health professionals may have an opportunity to intervene and help those children enhance these skills, he added.



“This research underscores that decision-making is a skill and it can be taught,” Weller said. The study looked at over 100 children and found that children who scored worse on the initial decision-making assessment were more likely to encounter behavioural problems a couple of years later. The behaviour assessment included questions about emotional difficulties, conduct issues such as fighting or lying and problems with peers. These kinds of behavioural issues are often linked to risky health behaviour among teens, including substance abuse or high-risk sexual activity, Weller noted.

“To our knowledge, this is the first research to suggest how decision-making competence is associated with future outcomes,” Weller concluded. The findings were published recently in the Journal of Behavioural Decision Making. 

Published in The Express Tribune, October 27^th, 2014.

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