Researchers from Harvard University, the University of Pittsburgh and the University of California-Berkeley asked a handful of teens listen to recordings of the teens’ own mothers nagging them. As the teens listened, the researchers also monitored the kids’ brainwaves to see if there were any changes taking place in their little noggins.
The experts found that during and shortly after the recorded scolding, teens showed less activity in regions of the brain associated with self-control and empathy (understanding how other folks might be feeling), along with the expected upswing in negative emotions.
In other words, researchers say, “youth shut down social processing [and] possibly do not think about their parents’ mental states” in the face of nagging. (Wired)
Paul Asay has written for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for PluggedIn and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He recently collaborated with Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family, on his book The Good Dad. He lives in Colorado Springs with wife, Wendy, and his two children. Check out his entertainment blog or follow him on Twitter.