Welcome back!

This week, we are working on understanding how and why adolescents make decisions, especially concerning the diverse personal and social perspectives influencing them. Adolescents are at a stage in life when they are exploring and forming their own beliefs, and social inputs from peers and parents can be powerful influences.  This means their decision making is changing in a way unlike any other life stage. What’s particularly exciting is that this project builds on prior research regarding the main takeaways (gist) instead of focusing solely on specifics (verbatim). Gist representation focuses on the bottom-line of any topic, which heavily relies on what a person knows and values.  Developing a better understanding of the factors influence adolescent decision making can ultimately help tailor interventions to improve community and public health outcomes.

Stay tuned for further updates as we progress!