Live Lecture on Self-Regulation and Brain Development

Understanding the development of the brain can help us understand the development of self-regulation skills and abilities.  Since self-regulation is primarily a frontal lobe activity of the brain, it is interesting to note that the frontal lobes of the brain take the longest (up to 25 years) to develop, compared to other areas of the brain.  As Martha Bronson notes, there is an increase in metabolic activity in the frontal lobes at about 8 months of age and this activity peaks between 12 and 24 months.  The increased activity in the frontal lobes does not decline significantly until about age 7 and "does not decline to adult levels until age 16." (2000, 158)  She goes on to say: "This indicates a longer period of plasticity for the frontal areas, which support higher cognitive and executive self-regulatory functions, than for any other part of the brain.  This area was the last to develop in evolution and is the last to mature in human development.  The extended period of immaturity may be required because our species needs the most learning to survive, and the organization of our high level cognitive and metacognitive processes requires a long time and many experiences." (Bronson 2000, 158)

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