A framework for integrating neural development and social networks in adolescence

Adolescence is a developmental period characterized by increasingly complex and influential peer contexts. Concurrently, developmental changes in neural circuits, particularly those related to social cognition, affective salience, and cognitive control, contribute to individuals’ social interactions and behaviors. However, while adolescents’ behaviors and overall outcomes are influenced by the entirety of their social environments, insights from developmental and social neuroscience often come from studies of individual relationships or specific social actors. By capturing information about both adolescents’ individual relations and their larger social contexts, social network analysis offers a powerful opportunity to enhance our understanding of how social factors interact with adolescent development. In this review, we highlight the relevant features of adolescent social and neural development that should be considered when integrating social network analysis and neuroimaging methods. We focus on broad themes of adolescent development, including identity formation, peer sensitivity, and the pursuit of social goals, that serve as potential mechanisms for the relations between neural processes and social network features. With these factors in mind, we review the current research and propose future applications of these methods and theories.