Why are we doing this research?
To learn more about how pet dogs can help support teenagers cope with social challenges.
Who can participate?
Teenagers who:
- Are 13-17 years old
- Experience some social stress
- Have a parent/guardian who also wishes to participate
- Have a pet dog and that dog lives with the teenager and participating parent more than half the time
- Live in the United States
- Teenager and parent/guardian speak English, Spanish, or Portuguese
What if there is more than one teenager in my family?
If there is more than one teenager in your family, please choose one teenager to participate. Only one parent-teenager pair can participate per family.
Can I still participate if I don’t speak English?
Study materials are available in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
What will we ask you to do?
Participating parent-teenager pairs will be asked to complete one 15-25-minute survey each, every year for four years (a total of 4 surveys over 4 years).
Parents will also be asked to complete a brief survey about their dog’s behavior after their first survey is completed.
Participants can complete the survey either online or over the phone.
Participating parent-child dyads may also be asked to participate in other study activities for additional compensation.
How can we participate?
If you are interested in participating, please email us at TeenDogStudy@tufts.edu!
