New article alert: A developmental psychological perspective on youth trust

Dr. Cavanagh's latest article, A Developmental Psychological Perspective on Youth Trust is out now in Discover Psychology.

This review examines how adolescent developmental processes influence youth trust, as distinct from, and as an antecedent of, adult trust. Due to normative processes of brain maturation, youth process social information differently than adults. The behaviors and attitudes established during adolescence have lasting impacts on adulthood, such that understanding youth trust has theoretical, practical, and methodological implications for our understanding of trust in adulthood. Current trust theories and methodologies may not fully capture the unique social dynamics of adolescent trust, suggesting the need for more ecologically valid and interdisciplinary research approaches.

By integrating insights from neuroscience and psychology, this paper aims to enrich the understanding of youth trust dynamics, advocating for a developmental lens in trust research.