How young people connect, IRL & online.
The Interactions & Relationships Lab at UNC Greensboro studies how young people’s relationships and social worlds shape their mental health, one message at a time.
hey! what’s IRL? 👋
Hi! We’re the Interactions & Relationships Lab at UNC Greensboro, directed by Dr. Michaeline Jensen.
We study how young people’s social contexts and relationships shape their mental health and risk-taking behaviors.
how do you even study that?
We use tools that fit into daily life 📱 That includes quick phone surveys and studies of text messages and social media.
We focus especially on parents and the cultural contexts in which families live.
ok cool. what are you working on right now?
Our newest project just launched 👇
It’s a collaboration with Jessica Dollar (Developmental Psychology) and Laurie Wideman (Kinesiology). The goal: science-backed tools that help parents raise confident, well-balanced kids in the digital age.
what else?
Fun fact: we’ve coded 30,000+ text messages between college students and their parents 🤯
who runs the lab?
Michaeline Jensen, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Psychology, UNCG
View profile
She leads a team of graduate and undergraduate researchers. Meet everyone →
wait, didn’t I see you on the news?? 👀
this is so cool. how can I get involved?
We’re recruiting a PhD student to start in fall 2027 🎓
And UNCG undergrads can join as research assistants, through independent study, or with an honors thesis.
Instant website replies; your question is not sent to the lab. Contact us for a personal reply.