02. SOCIAL NETWORKS: SELF-REGULATION IN AN INCREASINGLY COMPLEX SOCIAL WORLD

WP2 will identify how neural and self-regulation development affects emerging adults navigating their increasingly complex social world, fulfilling their social needs, and successfully transitioning to adulthood.

Emerging adulthood, which spans from the late teens to the mid-20s, represents a transitional period in which young people grapple with increasingly complex social and academic spheres while assuming a growing number of adult responsibilities. This shift from late adolescence to emerging adulthood, which often coincides with the transition to college, marks a period of profound identity exploration that shapes adult aspirations and goals. During this transition, young people face new obligations, expectations, and demands, sometimes conflicting or incongruent. To successfully navigate this transition, the cultivation of self-regulatory skills becomes paramount. In addition, the role of peer networks in adjusting to college life and achieving academic success looms large. Therefore, gaining a deeper insight into the dynamics of social networks among previously unidentified college students is of utmost importance. A consortium of GUTS researchers based in Amsterdam, Groningen, and Leiden will collect prospective longitudinal network, survey, and neuroimaging data among these young adults.

WP2 chairs:

• Leiden University: Anna van Duijvenvoorde
• Groningen University: René Veenstra