Hasini Harish

The Complex Relationship between Public Policies and Brain Development: A Comprehensive Study

Started Dec. 4, 2023

Abstract or project description

Hasini will write a review paper discussing brain development and government policy. She will initially discuss how various brain regions involved in decision-making (e.g. prefrontal cortex) develop across adolescence. Afterwards, she will discuss how such findings should impact government laws (e.g. drinking laws). Various government laws have seemingly arbitrary age cutoffs, but it seems that certain laws should be compatible to brain development. Before young adults are allowed to make risky decisions, the brain areas involved in decision-making should be fully developed and laws should reflect such development.

Brain development has significant impacts on government policy across several domains. However, the majority of government policies lack the consideration of the extended duration required for brain maturation, as well as other neurobiological factors. Understanding these neurobiological factors and how the brain develops from infancy through adulthood can inform public policies, which can subsequently support healthy emotional, social, and cognitive development. This paper explores the numerous brain regions and systems involved in the decision making process, neurodevelopmental disorders, and the effects of brain development across adolescence. I then illustrate the importance of considering these factors when implementing government policies and how certain policies can be reshaped to accommodate various psychological factors.