Over recent years, our Lab has studied how adolescents make sense of relationships among peers, including how they anticipate and navigate dating relationships. We have conducted several focused-group discussions with teenage girls and boys to gain insight into the psychosocial processes that youths use while navigating intimate relationships. For an overview of our past studies, please visit this page. In an effort to understand more about close relationships in general, we are by exploring the meanings and experiences of same-sex close friendships between teenage girls. Such friendships serve an important developmental role in increasing girls' strengths in communication, empathy, and in forming and maintaining healthy relationships into adulthood. By learning more about how girls maintain positive close relationships we can aid others in developing their own positive relationships.

Project description: In this study, we are engaging in focused discussions with pairs of teenaged girls about their friendship with each other and about girls’ friendships in general. This discussion will take place over Zoom; you can join from the same location as your friend or from separate places, depending on what you find the most comfortable, safe, and convenient. You will also be asked to fill out a few short surveys about yourself, your relationships, and your communications with others prior to the discussion. The interview will be audio recorded and transcriptions of your exchange will be anonymized; any information you provide will be encrypted on a secure laptop to ensure confidentiality. We have UNB ethics approval #2018-177 for this study.

Eligibility: We are seeking high-school-aged girls between 13- to 18-years of age. You will be asked to invite a female friend to participate in the study together with you and you must both receive parental permission to participate. A communications device with a working microphone will be required for these distanced discussions.

Study duration: The interview will last for up to an hour, completed during a time that is mutually convenient. You are free to not answer any questions you do not wish to or can withdraw from the study at any point without penalty. In the future, we would like to host a follow-up interview with a group of previous participants, however, participation in the second interview is voluntary.

Compensation: Whether or not you and your friend complete the study, you will both receive a certificate of participation and be entered into a draw for a shared $25 gift certificate for you to enjoy some time together.

Contact us: If you are interested in helping us out or have any inquiries, please respond to this webform, and we will respond to you within a week! You can also call us at 604.947.2066 in British Columbia or 506.477.8679 in New Brunswick if you are interested. Thank you for your interest in our work!