Evolución del pensamiento y la conducta en adolescentes: un análisis comparativo de la interacción entre factores biológicos y sociales desde una perspectiva integradora

Abstract

Adolescence constitutes a key phase of human development, characterized by a profound biological, cognitive, emotional, and social reorganization that decisively influences the shaping of thought, behavior, and personal identity. This article aims to analyze the evolution of thought and behavior in adolescents from a reflective- comparative approach, through a critical review of interdisciplinary scientific literature from neuroscience, developmental psychology, and the social sciences. The comparative analysis focuses on contrasting biological and sociocultural approaches, as well as examining the conditions under which digital environments differentially influence emotional regulation, anxiety, sense of belonging, and adolescent identity formation. The results of the review show that neurobiological maturation establishes windows of vulnerability and opportunity that do not determine behavior on their own, but rather interact dynamically with family, educational, cultural, and technological contexts. Likewise, the reviewed literature shows that the effects of digitalization are neither homogeneous nor linear: while intensive and unmediated use of digital technologies is associated with higher levels of anxiety and isolation, moderate, active, and socially mediated use can foster social support and the development of socio-emotional skills. In conclusion, the article proposes understanding adolescence not as a stage of crisis, but as a complex and formative process in which biology and culture are co-constructed, offering relevant implications for research, education, and human development policies, especially in Latin American contexts.