Adolescents learning about themselves through friends and how it links to mood
Official title: Adolescents' learning of self-views in close friendships and internalizing symptoms
Funded at University of Texas Dallas · NIH-11595690 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study with teens will test how feedback from close friends and strangers shapes their self-views and mood, using brain and behavior measurements.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Dallas NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richardson, United States) |
| Project start | September 8, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $275,000 |
| NIH project number | 1R56HD121565-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11595690 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adolescents aged 12-20 who have close friendships and are willing to participate with a friend.
✕Less likely to help
Teens without close friendships or who are unable to participate with a peer may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project invites 40 pairs of adolescent friends (80 participants) to complete a new feedback-based task that mirrors real social interactions. Researchers will use brain-wave and computer models to understand how teens learn from feedback about themselves and how this relates to internalizing symptoms like anxiety or depression. The study combines behavioral data with neural measures to identify patterns of learning in social contexts that are common during adolescence.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could help tailor interventions that support healthy self-views and reduce internalizing symptoms in teens.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows social feedback influences self-perception, with neurocomputational approaches offering deeper insight into learning processes.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas Dallas
Richardson, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tang, Alva — University of Texas Dallas
- Study coordinator: Tang, Alva
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.