Abstract
Adolescence is a period of life characterized by a shift in social orientation away from the parents, towards
one’s peer group. Animal and human studies suggest that social interactions, particularly if they involve peers,
are more salient for adolescents than for adults, with implications for both adaptive and maladaptive
development. I will present cross-sectional as well as longitudinal human data, focusing on the development of
different social decision-making domains. I will relate the development of social decision-making to structural
brain development, real-life social interactions, and self-esteem. I will also outline implications for mental
health issues in adolescents and speculate about how knowledge about how adolescents learn in social
situations might help us to tailor developmentally sensitive psychotherapies.