Current Projects
Several studies in which our lab is currently involved lie at the intersection between social psychology and cognitive neuroscience. While these disciplines are still in the early stages of coming together, it is clear the future of psychology will rest on our ability to further our understanding of human behavior using the tools of multiple disciplines.
- Real Effects of the Imaginary Audience—When teens think “everyone” is watching them, are their decision-making processes altered? Our latest study will begin testing subjects in the fall of 2005.
- What were you thinking?—Study participants were asked to judge whether various scenarios were a “good idea” or a “bad idea.” Teens utilized reasoning and judgment areas of the brain, whereas adults’ responses were more automatic.
- Why do teenagers do “stupid” things?—Dr. Baird and Dr. Fugelsang review the concept of “counterfactual thinking” to illustrate differences in adolescents’ reasoning and judgment abilities.
- Frienemies: Coping with Relational Aggression—Relational aggression is aggression in which peers’ acts can damage relationships and the social development of an adolescent. This study investigated the interactions of adolescent girls and aimed to ascertain whether cognitive strategies can help girls cope with relational aggression.
- Social Cognition in Middle School—We are currently conducting a longitudinal study in which we track middle school students via annual surveys, asking them questions about aspects of their social and emotional lives. We hope this data will provide insight into adolescent experience and development.
- Executive Function and Brain Maturation—Using MRI and DTI technologies, we are examining the “executive” functions of the brain (such as reasoning, impulse control, and decision-making) to enhance our understanding of brain development during adolescence.
