Over-development in the brain's nucleus accumbens
Explanation:
The nucleus accumbens of the brain functions based on rewards and reinforcement stimulus.
A reward for a positive behavior will lead to development of that character; while a punishment for a negative behavior will lead to avoidance of that behavior.
The core and shell components of nucleus accumbens act complimentarily with each other to develop decision-making skills in an individual. The core part is concerned with motivational hedonic aspects; while, the shell part is concerned with learning and action.
Both these factors help to develop balanced flexible behavior with good decision making skills. Overdevelopment of nucleus accumbens will lead to disturbance in the neural pathways and affect the cortical controls of the brain.
Nucleus accumbens especially plays an important role among older school-age children and adolescents, since it is involved with learning and memory, motivation, pleasure, addiction, and relationship factors.
Over-development will alter this decision making skills since it will develop behavior based on pleasure and addiction and more impulsive behavior rather than planned behavior or actions.
