Pathways Into Adolescence

Children aged 13-17 and their parent/caregiver.

This study will take place on a video call, live with a researcher! Clicking on the “Participate Now!” button will send you to an online calendar where you can select a date and time that works for you! You and your teen will both participate in an online visit which will begin with a 10 minute consent process where we explain the study (We'll ask participants to have their cameras on for this!). At the end of this consent process, parents will be emailed a ~20 minute questionnaire to complete on a separate device, and teens will stay on the zoom call to complete three games, a written task, and a questionnaire (~80 minutes).

Teens will play each game twice. One task is an emotion regulation game where they will view images either passively, or attempted to feel less negatively about them. In the next task, teens will complete a driving simulation game, in which they decide whether to stop or accelerate at yellow lights in order to get to their destination. For the final task, the Cups game, teens will make a series of choices between a certain or potential loss/gain. During one round of the Cups game, teens will play for themselves. In the second round, they will play for a friend, and whatever money won will be sent to their friend via an emailed amazon e-code.

How we grow and develop in response to the world around us is a crucial pillar of well-being. The purpose of this study is to learn more about the social and emotional aspects of development and decision-making. We're especially interested in learning more about what can affect decision making over time, including our social relationships.

Adolescence is also a highly dynamic developmental period in which our relationship with ourselves and the world changes. Thus, we want to learn about how teens face these changes. Knowing more about this period in life can also help us uncover strategies that can promote emotional well-being in teens and young adults.

90-120 minutes

Teen participants earn a $20 amazon e-code, and can earn more depending on how they do on the Cups game.
Caregivers earn a $10 amazon e-code for their participation.
Teens will also nominate a friend to earn a $10 e-code, and they can add to their friend's earnings in the Cups game.

Payment E-codes will be emailed to the teen, parent, and friend at the end of the session. Only one payment is allowed per child.