Final answer:
Adolescents are considered less culpable for criminal activities due to their diminished capacity in reasoning, as their cognitive development is still ongoing, and their brains, particularly the frontal lobes, are still maturing into early adulthood.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to researchers Steinberg and Scott, developmentally adolescents are less culpable because of their diminished capacity in reasoning. The cognitive development of adolescents continues into the early 20s, with the increasing capacity for insight and judgment developing through experience. Although many adolescents have basic thinking abilities comparable to those of adults, their ability to reason and make judgments is still maturing, particularly in the areas of impulse control and assessment of risks and rewards. This ongoing development can impact their culpability in criminal activities, as they might not fully grasp the consequences of their actions like adults would.
Furthermore, the adolescent brain is still under development, especially in the frontal lobe region, which is responsible for judgment, impulse control, and planning. This means that adolescents may engage in increased risk-taking behaviors and emotional outbursts, indicating their brains are still developing and potentially contributing to a diminished capacity for making fully reasoned decisions. Hence, when sentencing adolescents found guilty of criminal activities, courts may weigh these developmental factors as mitigating circumstances when determining culpability.