Kashfia Rahman: How risk-taking changes a teenager's brain
Kashfia Rahman: Cómo correr riesgos cambia el cerebro de los adolescentes
Kashfia Rahman studies psychology, cognitive science and global health policy at Harvard University. Full bio
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to understand a teenager?
entender a un adolescente?
that some teens do well in school,
sean buenos estudiantes,
en sus comunidades,
for an online challenge,
por un reto viral,
y exceden la velocidad
with illicit drugs.
y prueban drogas ilegales.
be so smart, skilled and responsible --
tan hábiles, inteligentes y responsables
y correr tantos riesgos?
my peers in person
tanto en persona
took such crazy risks.
los jóvenes corrían tantos riesgos.
from DARE class in the fifth grade
del curso de lucha contra las drogas
themselves to these harmful risks,
a estos riesgos perjudiciales,
to continue taking risks.
mucha curiosidad.
"to explore knowledge,"
"explorar el conocimiento",
for a scientific explanation.
una explicación científica.
that teens ages 13 to 18
de entre 13 y 18 años
than children or adults,
que los niños o los adultos,
that they're going through?
have already found evidence
ya han encontrado pruebas
is still in the process of maturation --
todavía no ha madurado
exceptionally poor at decision-making,
nada buenos al tomar decisiones,
to risky behaviors.
de conductas riesgosas.
if the maturing brain is to blame,
que no ha madurado,
more vulnerable than children,
más vulnerables que los niños,
are more developed than those of children?
take risks at the same level.
del mundo toman riesgos del mismo nivel.
or unintentional causes
o no intencionales
what I decided to research.
lo que decidí investigar.
on the basis of a psychological process
en el proceso psicológico
as "getting used to it."
adapt to some behaviors,
se adapta a algunas conductas,
repetidamente, como mentir.
to design a project
a diseñar un proyecto
aplicar el mismo principio
rise of risk-taking in teenagers.
que corren los adolescentes.
habituation to risk-taking
a correr riesgos
the already-vulnerable teenage brain
ya vulnerable del adolescente
associated with risk,
asociadas con los riesgos,
would feel less fearful and guilty,
menos miedo y culpa,
to even more risk-taking.
a correr más riesgos.
a research study
outrageous choices
corren riesgos tan grandes
to their health and well-being?
para su salud y bienestar?
en los que experimentar,
to measure their brain activity,
para medir la actividad cerebral
and guide me along the way.
y me guiaran durante el proceso.
a high school in South Dakota
de Dakota del Sur
for scientific exploration.
para la investigación científica.
or research mentors.
o mentores para investigaciones.
in a science fair was completely foreign.
una feria de ciencias era impensable.
have the ingredients
of Bangladeshi immigrants
of Muslim students
estudiantes musulmanes
with something to contribute to society,
contribuir con algo a la comunidad,
the scarf-wearing brown girl
que usaba un pañuelo
in my homogenous hometown.
en mi homogénea ciudad natal.
could be for kids like me
científica para jóvenes como yo
find their niche elsewhere.
de investigación tan limitadas,
seemingly impossible obstacles.
obstáculos aparentemente imposibles.
with a variety of methodologies,
con varias metodologías,
de la secundaria
en ratas de laboratorio.
my school's football coach,
del equipo de fútbol,
to sign necessary paperwork.
para firmar el papeleo necesario.
electroencephalography,
de laboratorio,
used to measure emotional responses,
usados para medir la respuesta emocional,
with my own money,
con mi propio dinero,
were saving up for.
muchos de los de mi edad.
ages 13 to 18, from my high school.
de entre 13 y 18 años.
in my school library,
de las computadoras,
decision-making simulation
de toma de decisiones computarizada
comparable to ones in the real world,
comparable con las del mundo real,
el consumo de drogas y las apuestas.
12 times over three days
durante 3 días
exposiciones al riesgo.
emotional responses:
respuestas emocionales,
excitement, frustration,
el entusiasmo, la frustración,
y la relajación.
emotion-measuring scales.
para medir emociones.
the process of habituation
el proceso de la habituación
to complete this research.
drafting proposals,
propuestas frenéticamente,
in a caffeinated daze at 2am,
un aturdimiento por cafeína a las 2 a.m.,
that habituation to risk-taking
que la habituación a correr riesgos
by altering their emotional levels,
al alterar sus niveles emocionales,
that were normally associated with risks,
generalmente asociadas con los riesgos,
la culpa y el nerviosismo,
exposed to the risk simulator.
por primera vez al simulador.
and enforced self-control,
e impulsó el autocontrol,
from taking more risks.
to the risks through the simulator,
a los riesgos por medio del simulador,
and stressed they became.
fear and caution instincts.
de miedo y precaución.
and their brains are still underdeveloped,
no se han terminado de desarrollar,
in thrill-seeking behaviors.
les interesan y entusiasman más.
for logical decision-making,
decisiones de manera lógica,
isn't to blame.
al cerebro en desarrollo.
also plays a key role in risk-taking
un rol importante en la toma de riesgos
que tienen los jóvenes
and functional changes
de los cambios estructurales
con el cerebro en desarrollo,
that my research was able to highlight
resaltar con la investigación
change a teen's brain
el cerebro del joven
of the immature teen brain
del cerebro adolescente inmaduro
to create more damaging effects.
para crear efectos más perjudiciales.
a que los padres y el público en general
and the general public
las advertencias voluntariamente
willfully ignoring warnings
conductas cada vez más peligrosas.
in increasingly more dangerous behavior.
is their habituation to risks:
es la habituación a los riesgos:
and emotional functional changes
detectables y emocionales
their over-the-top risk-taking.
su deseo desmesurado de correr riesgos.
that provide safer environments
que ofrezcan ambientes más seguros
that reflect this insight.
que reflejen esta percepción.
a wake-up call for teens, too.
un llamado de atención a los jóvenes.
and necessary fear and guilt
y la culpa, necesarios y naturales,
repeatedly choose risky behaviors.
conductas riesgosas repetidamente.
with fellow teenagers and scientists,
con otros adolescentes y científicos,
Science and Engineering Fair, or ISEF,
e Ingeniería de Intel o ISEF,
regions and territories,
research and inventions.
investigaciones e inventos.
de la feria de ciencias.
to experts in neuroscience and psychology
a expertos en neurociencia y psicología
memorable moment of the week
suddenly uttered my name
de repente, dijeron mi nombre
that I questioned myself:
como la de "La La Land"
and Social Sciences."
y de la Conducta"
to have this recognition,
por este reconocimiento,
of science fair that validated my efforts
la feria de ciencias reconozca mi esfuerzo
experimenting in my school library
en la biblioteca de la secundaria
a sort of inspiration.
una especie de inspiración.
taught me to take risks.
me enseñó a correr riesgos.
incredibly ironic.
increíblemente irónico.
often come from risk-taking --
suelen aparecer al correr riesgos,
negative type that I studied,
o negativos que estudié,
my unconventional circumstances,
mis circunstancias poco convencionales.
resilience and patience
resiliente y paciente
have led me to new ideas
me llevaron a nuevas ideas
of negative risk-taking also true?
negativos ¿también es cierto?
escalate with repeated exposures?
con las exposiciones repetidas?
build positive brain functioning?
un funcionamiento cerebral positivo?
my next research idea.
para mi próxima investigación.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Kashfia Rahman - Psychology researcherKashfia Rahman studies psychology, cognitive science and global health policy at Harvard University.
Why you should listen
The daughter of Bangladeshi immigrants, Kashfia Rahman grew up as a minority in a homogenous community in Brookings, South Dakota. When she was in high school, she noticed her peers frequently succumbing to risky behaviors as well as the ruthless burdens of stress and peer pressure. Working directly on peers at her school, she dedicated research to studying the neuroscientific and psychological processes underlying these behaviors, and how the environment plays a role in emotion-processing and cognitive functioning in teens. With the hopes of raising awareness to minimize the potential for engaging in harmful behaviors, she took her research to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, a culmination of 1,800 students from over 75 countries sometimes described as the "Olympics of science fairs." For her research projects, she was awarded first place in her category as well as was recognized by the National Institutes on Drug Abuse and the American Psychological Association.
Rahman is also a Google Science Fair finalist and a Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholar. Featured in the National Geographic documentary Science Fair for her dedication to science research, Rahman is passionate about sharing her pathway to research and strives to expand the platform for marginalized and disempowered voices. She is also interested in bridging the gender and racial gap in the field of STEM and in advocating for healthy environments to improve teens' behavioral and mental health.
Kashfia Rahman | Speaker | TED.com