Kashfia Rahman: How risk-taking changes a teenager's brain
카시피아 라만(Kashfia Rahman): 위험을 감수하며 변화하는 십대들의 뇌
Kashfia Rahman studies psychology, cognitive science and global health policy at Harvard University. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
to understand a teenager?
애써 보신 적 있나요?
that some teens do well in school,
어떤 애들은 학교도 잘 다니고
for an online challenge,
인터넷 상에서 경쟁하기도 하고
with illicit drugs.
손 대기도 하잖아요.
be so smart, skilled and responsible --
수많은 십대 아이들이
이처럼 위험을 감수할 수 있죠?
my peers in person
took such crazy risks.
위험을 감수하는지 궁금해졌어요.
from DARE class in the fifth grade
교육은 쓸모가 없나 봐요.
themselves to these harmful risks,
to continue taking risks.
"to explore knowledge,"
for a scientific explanation.
that teens ages 13 to 18
13-18세 사이의 십대들이
than children or adults,
위험을 감수하기 쉽다는 겁니다.
that they're going through?
성장 과정인걸까요?
have already found evidence
is still in the process of maturation --
성숙하고 있는 시기에 있고,
exceptionally poor at decision-making,
to risky behaviors.
if the maturing brain is to blame,
성숙하고 있는 뇌가 문제라면
more vulnerable than children,
더 취약한 걸까요?
are more developed than those of children?
발달된 상태일텐데 말이죠.
take risks at the same level.
위험을 감수하는 것도 아닙니다.
or unintentional causes
what I decided to research.
on the basis of a psychological process
심리학에서 소위 말하는
as "getting used to it."
adapt to some behaviors,
적응하는 방식을 설명해 줍니다.
거짓말 같은 것들이죠.
to design a project
구상한 제 연구는
rise of risk-taking in teenagers.
적용되는지 알아보려는 거였죠.
habituation to risk-taking
위험 감수의 습관화로
the already-vulnerable teenage brain
바뀔 수 있다는 사실이었어요.
associated with risk,
would feel less fearful and guilty,
죄책감이 덜 해지는
to even more risk-taking.
감수하게 된다고 생각했어요.
a research study
해답을 찾는 거였는데
outrageous choices
to their health and well-being?
to measure their brain activity,
장비와 실험실, 그리고
and guide me along the way.
선생님이나 교수님이 필요했어요.
a high school in South Dakota
사우스 다코타의 고등학교엔
for scientific exploration.
많지 않았어요.
or research mentors.
연구에 조언을 해 줄 분이 없었죠.
in a science fair was completely foreign.
아주 생소했으니까요.
have the ingredients
맛있는 요리를 해야 하는데
좌절하기도 했지만
of Bangladeshi immigrants
of Muslim students
with something to contribute to society,
누군가가 되고 싶었죠.
the scarf-wearing brown girl
갈색 피부 아이가 아니라요.
in my homogenous hometown.
특이한 일이긴 해요.
could be for kids like me
find their niche elsewhere.
찾지 못했던 아이들에게요.
seemingly impossible obstacles.
장애물들을 극복할 수 있었죠.
with a variety of methodologies,
my school's football coach,
to sign necessary paperwork.
멘토가 되어주셨어요.
electroencephalography,
used to measure emotional responses,
전극 장치가 꼭 필요해
with my own money,
휴대용 EEG 헤드셋을 샀어요.
were saving up for.
돈을 모으잖아요.
ages 13 to 18, from my high school.
13-18살 사이의 86명이 참여했죠.
in my school library,
컴퓨터가 있는 자리에서
decision-making simulation
comparable to ones in the real world,
실생활의 위험한 행동들과 비교 측정해봤죠
12 times over three days
3일에 걸쳐 했고
상황을 재현해 봤어요.
emotional responses:
측정할 수 있었죠.
excitement, frustration,
emotion-measuring scales.
평가할 수 있었죠.
the process of habituation
to complete this research.
drafting proposals,
연구 초안을 작성하고
in a caffeinated daze at 2am,
꼼꼼하게 자료들을 입력하며
that habituation to risk-taking
by altering their emotional levels,
실제로 십대들의 뇌를 변화시켜
that were normally associated with risks,
스트레스, 죄책감, 초조함,
exposed to the risk simulator.
모두 높게 측정이 됐어요.
and enforced self-control,
from taking more risks.
to the risks through the simulator,
and stressed they became.
덜 느끼는 것으로 나왔어요.
fear and caution instincts.
무뎌지게 된 것이죠.
and their brains are still underdeveloped,
뇌도 자라고 있는 상태라
in thrill-seeking behaviors.
흥분하게 됩니다.
for logical decision-making,
isn't to blame.
탓할 순 없죠.
also plays a key role in risk-taking
'위험 감수'와
and functional changes
변화로 인한 것입니다.
that my research was able to highlight
부각시킬 수 있었던 위험한 부분은
change a teen's brain
물리적인 변화를 가져와
감수하게 한다는 것입니다.
of the immature teen brain
미숙한 십대의 뇌와
to create more damaging effects.
상황을 만드는 거예요.
and the general public
일반인들에게도 도움이 되는데
willfully ignoring warnings
in increasingly more dangerous behavior.
부모들에게 반항하는게 아니란 거죠.
is their habituation to risks:
역시 무모함의 습관화인데
and emotional functional changes
감정적인 기능의 변화들이
their over-the-top risk-taking.
제어하고, 영향을 주고 하니까요.
that provide safer environments
안전한 환경을 조성하고
that reflect this insight.
정책 또한 필요합니다.
a wake-up call for teens, too.
and necessary fear and guilt
repeatedly choose risky behaviors.
무뎌지게 되는 거죠.
with fellow teenagers and scientists,
이 연구 결과를 보여주고 싶어서
Science and Engineering Fair, or ISEF,
ISEF에 참석했어요.
regions and territories,
research and inventions.
to experts in neuroscience and psychology
제 연구를 보여 주고
memorable moment of the week
suddenly uttered my name
크게 불렸을 때인데
that I questioned myself:
and Social Sciences."
to have this recognition,
of science fair that validated my efforts
그 곳에서의 경험으로
상상력 등을 키워나갔습니다.
experimenting in my school library
실험이 한창인 이 사진이
a sort of inspiration.
taught me to take risks.
가르침을 상기시켜 주니까요.
incredibly ironic.
들릴 수 있는 것 압니다.
often come from risk-taking --
위험을 감수함으로 온다는 걸 깨달았어요.
negative type that I studied,
부정적인 것들이 아닌
my unconventional circumstances,
이겨낼 힘이 더 생겼고
resilience and patience
굴하지 않고, 잘 참으며
have led me to new ideas
새 아이디어까지 얻었는데
of negative risk-taking also true?
위험 감수의 반대도 있는걸까?
escalate with repeated exposures?
반복하며 증가시킬 수 있을까?
build positive brain functioning?
기능하도록 할 수 있을까?
my next research idea.
알 것 같아요.
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