Our Studies
CIELO Study
CIELO: Cultivating Interpersonal Connections and Educational engagement in youth’s Lives and Online Interactions
Technology plays a major role in how adolescents connect, from heartfelt texts to late-night DMs. But how do these digital interactions, both loving and stressful, impact their mental health? In this study, we will amplify youth voices by following 300 adolescents and their romantic partners over 18 months to understand when, how, and in which contexts digital interactions benefit or harm mental health. We will also investigate how parents and friends can be key sources of support. Using cutting-edge measurement methods to capture real-time digital interactions and data analysis techniques, this research will provide new insights into the role of technology in teen relationships and mental health.
Status: Data collection is set to begin in Fall 2025.
Principal Investigator: Thao Ha, PhD
Co-Investigators: Miriam Brinberg, PhD (The Ohio State University), Adriana Umaña-Taylor, PhD (Harvard University), Candice Odgers, PhD (University of California Irvine), Kevin Grimm, PhD (Arizona State University)
Graduate students: Jennifer Figueroa, M.A., Olivia Maras, M.A.
Funding: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH; 1R01MH138928-01)
TIES Study
TIES: Tucson Interpersonal and Educational Success
Technology is transforming the way adolescents engage in friendships and romantic relationships, both online and offline, while they also navigate their identities, values, and future aspirations. Our study follows 510 Latino/Hispanic adolescents over three years to investigate how their digital interactions with friends, romantic partners, and online content influence their mental health, academic success, and future relationships. As part of this research, we recently completed a four-week daily diary study in November 2024 to examine how daily exposure to digital social and political messaging affects adolescents’ moods and identity development.
In a world where technology is constantly evolving, this study provides valuable insights to ensure digital innovation supports adolescent mental health, academic growth, and healthy relationships.
Status: Data collection is in progress.
Founding Principal Investigators: Thao Ha, PhD, Maciel Hernández, PhD (University of California Davis, Co-PI), Olga Kornienko, PhD (George Mason University, Co-PI)
Co-Principal Investigators: Norma Perez-Brena, PhD (University of Arizona), Dalal Safa, PhD (University of North Carolina Chapel Hill), Kristia Wantchekon, PhD (Georgetown University), Esther Burson, PhD (Smith College)
Graduate students: Jennifer Figueroa, M.A., Olivia Maras, M.A., Caroline Toth, M.A., Priscila Gámez Hernández
Funding: The Spencer Foundation (#202100291), University of Arizona, and the PI’s research funds
Romantic Touch Study in Virtual Reality
Despite being more connected than ever, people are lonelier than before. One reason might be that digital interactions lack physical touch, which is a fundamental evolutionary mechanism that increases survival by deepening social bonding and reducing stress. Virtual Reality (VR) is changing that. Unlike previous technologies, VR brings nonverbal cues into digital spaces, enabling new forms of touch, both real and simulated. Users can see and feel touch, interact with AI and human partners, and even experience emerging tactile technologies that replicate physical contact.
As we navigate multidimensional realities, understanding how touch evolves in virtual spaces is crucial. Our study explores social touch between 100 early adult romantic partners in a fully immersive VR environment, uncovering how technology can bridge the physical gap and reshape relationships in the digital age.
We use Arizona State University’s unique immersive VR installation, Dreamscape Learn (Dreamscape Learn, https://dreamscapelearn.asu.edu/ )
Status: Data collection is in progress.
Principal Investigators: Thao Ha, PhD, Liesel Sharabi, PhD
Graduate students: Mehek Dhillon, Jennifer Figueroa, M.A., Olivia Maras, M.A., Paige Von Feldt, M.A. (cohort 1 only)
Funding: ASU’s ISSR Seed Grant and Mental Research Institute
PAL Study
PAL: Project Alliance Study 1
This is a randomized intervention study of the Family Check-Up. The Family Check-Up is a brief, strengths-based intervention designed to improve parenting and family management, to reduce children's problem behaviors and substance abuse. This study followed 999 adolescents and their families from diverse middle schools in the northwest U.S for over more than two decades! Participants were randomly assigned to either a control or intervention group, with over 80% remaining in the study through its various stages. At the last measurement wave, the original teens are now young adults and in romantic relationships. Participants and romantic partners are assessed for romantic relationship dynamics to better understand when and how relationships escalate into intimate partner violence and substance use.
The study provides a rich, multimethod dataset, including peer networks, self-reports, observations of parent and peer interactions during adolescence, romantic partner dynamics in adulthood, clinical diagnoses, and genetics.
Status: Data collection complete, secondary data analyses phase.
Principal Investigator: Thao Ha, PhD
Former Principal Investigator: Thomas Dishion, PhD; original developer of the Family Check-Up
Funding: National Institute of Mental Health (NIAAA, R01AA022071; NIDA, R01DA007031; NIMH, R01MH122213 (PI, Connell, Co-I, Ha)
TAR Study
TAR: Technology and Relationships
The TAR study launched in April 2020 at the start of the pandemic. The study explores how technology, social media, and the COVID-19 crisis affect romantic relationship quality and mental health among young adults. The study tracks how college students’ relationships have evolved during the pandemic, using daily diaries to capture real-time experiences. A total of 290 couples participated, with 91 moving on to a second phase involving a 21-day daily diary study.
Status: Data collection complete, secondary data analyses phase.
Principal Investigator: Thao Ha, PhD
Principal Graduate Investigator: Selena Quiroz, PhD
Co-Investigator: Masumi Iida, PhD (Arizona State University)
Funding: Catalyst Award and Dr. Ha’s startup funds.
ASPIRE Study
ASPIRE: Adolescents, Schools, Peers, and Interpersonal Relationships
The aim of the ASPIRE study was to identify the affective and neurocognitive characteristics of adolescent social relationships that impact academic success and wellbeing. We assessed the impact of family, peer, and romantic relationships on academic engagement. This is important because social relationships can help teens navigate the path to school and career success, but they can also pose challenges, and at times, hinder engagement in school. We partnered with two local high schools and collected data from 99 dating adolescent couples. This sample consisted of 42% Hispanic/Latino, 42% White, and 16% African-American, Asian American, Native American teens. These adolescent couples participated in a laboratory study at Arizona State University that included observations of conflict discussions, survey assessments, dual-acquisition EEG while playing an interactive computer game, and salivary stress physiology assessments. Participants were also tracked longitudinally for 12-weeks using mobile ecological momentary assessments.
Status: Data collection complete, secondary data analyses phase.
Principal Investigator: Thao Ha, PhD
Graduate students: Adam Rogers, Frank Poulsen, Charlie Champion, Katie Panza
Funding: T. Denny Sanford School of Family and Child Dynamics
ASSIST Study
ASSIST: ASU Support for Success Initiative for Students Transitioning to College
The ASSIST Study, a collaboration among REACH, ASU Educational Outreach and Student Services, and the Department of Psychology, seeks to better understand the challenges students face as they move from high school into the college environment. The primary goal of ASSIST is to learn from ASU incoming students in order to develop a web-based prevention program that promotes strategies and tools for a successful college transition. ASSIST uses a multi-method approach, including twice-weekly diaries, questionnaires, focus groups, and academic records, to assess students and parents before, during, and after the transition to college to better understand the experiences and coping strategies that predict success and well-being. These data will directly inform the design of support services for parents and students in an effort to increase the likelihood of positive adjustment and decrease problematic behavior and drop out.
Status: Data collection complete, secondary data analyses phase.
Multiple Principal Investigators: Thao Ha, PhD, Leah Doane, PhD, William Corbin, PhD, and Thomas Dishion, PhD
Graduate students: Scott van Lenten and Will Pellham
Funding: ASU Educational Outreach and Student Services, the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, the Department of Psychology and the REACH Institute