In this project we map neurocognitive mechanisms of observational learning (learning from others), prosocial learning (learning for others) and learning whom to trust (learning about others) during adolescence.

Academic performance and successful peer relationships are the two most salient developmental challenges that adolescents face, respectively related to cognitive and social development. Remarkably, these processes have been examined in isolation. This is particularly striking because the majority of academic learning takes place in a highly social context surrounded by friends in the classroom. In several behavioral projects we examine the role of class relationships, and adolescent’s learning and decision-making.

Adolescents’ typical social school context was crucially affected by school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. We use a daily diary study method to investigate how school motivation, social interactions, and well-being of adolescents changed during the course of the COVID-19 crisis and how these aspects differed between physical and online school days.

The Brainbuzz project combines longitudinal behavioral and neuroimaging approaches to examine in which way social influence can mitigate or increase risk taking in youth with ADHD, but also who is most at risk for excessive risk-taking.