How teenagers sort people into social groups
Social Categorization in Adolescence
This project follows teens over time to see how they group other people and whether those changes relate to their mood and well‑being.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Princeton University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Princeton, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11143173 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be followed across time to track how you and other adolescents place people into social categories and how that changes during the teen years. The work combines a long-running decade-long study with a month of daily short surveys you complete on your phone. Researchers also compare teens' answers with their parents' responses to understand how family viewpoints shape social sorting. The project includes over 2,000 participants and links categorization patterns to measures of mood and overall well‑being.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adolescents (roughly ages 12–20) and often their parents who are willing to complete periodic visits and short daily surveys.
Not a fit: People outside the adolescent age range or those unwilling to take part in repeated surveys and follow-ups are unlikely to receive direct benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal links between how teens view others and their mental health, helping shape better support for adolescent well‑being.
How similar studies have performed: Longitudinal tracking and daily-survey (EMA) methods have been used successfully in adolescent research, though combining parent–teen categorization at this scale is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Princeton, UNITED STATES
- Princeton University — Princeton, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Olson, Kristina — Princeton University
- Study coordinator: Olson, Kristina
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 below.