IntroductionIn 2007, Scientific American Mind published an article by Robert Epstein. In his article, Epstein raised the question of whether the adolescent brains caused the turmoil or whether the turmoil shaped the brain. The author began by explaining a discredited theory that haunts today's teenagers. It all began in 1904 with G. Stanley Hall's observation about teenagers left on the streets due to mass migration and immigration during the Industrial Revolution. Hall attributed the observed turmoil to recapitulation, a biological theory in which adolescence reflects the “wild, pygmoid” stage of evolutionary development (Epstein 2007). Additionally, brain imaging studies have noted differences in the scans of adolescents and adults while performing tasks. It was theorized that differences in adolescent brains were the cause of the turmoil, and the myth evolved into the belief that adolescents are less motivated and put less effort into homework (Epstein, 2007) – some see them as rebellious and irresponsible . It is now known that turbulence is not an inevitable part of human development. The author argued that differences between adolescent and adult brain scans are not necessarily evidence of immaturity, deficits in reasoning, intelligence, cognition, or any other brain function. He says studies may point to a correlation, but there is no evidence of causation. Further evidence that unrest is not inevitable can be seen in studies of other industrialized nations. In other industrialized nations, adolescent disorders were a fraction of those seen in the United States. The author proposed that the riots were the result of infantilization, a largely cultural phenomenon. If treated as adults, are adolescents able to reach... the center of the paper... resources common to both environments? What else can explain the differences between the social roles that adolescents play in each society? Do such roles contribute to or reduce turbulence? Works Cited Bynum, J.E., Thompson, W.E., (2007). Juvenile delinquency: a sociological approach. Pearson Education: Boston, MA. Epstein, R. (2007). The myth of the adolescent brain. Scientific American Reports, 69-75.McCarter, S.A. (2011). Adolescence. In Hutchinson, E. (ed.). Dimensions of human behavior: Life course change (220-268). Los Angeles: Sage Publications.Merrian-Webster Dictionary, (2011). Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recapitulationRobbins, S., Chatterjee, P., & Canda, E. (2006). Contemporary theory of human behavior: A clinical perspective for social work. 2nd edition, Pearson Education: Boston, MA.