Sarah Borowski leverages behavioral and physiological data to understand adolescent emotional development.
Friendships during adolescence are widely understood to be critical for emotional and social development. Yet, as developmental psychologist Sarah Borowski’s research underscores, these relationships can simultaneously confer significant benefits and potential risks to adolescent well-being. Her work offers a nuanced understanding of how supportive interactions among peers can foster resilience—or, under certain conditions, exacerbate emotional difficulties.
Borowski’s research focuses on the ways in which adolescents seek and provide emotional support within peer relationships, particularly during a developmental period characterized by increasing autonomy from parents. She identifies close friendships as strongly associated with improved emotional competence, reduced depressive symptoms, and the development of healthier romantic relationships later in life. However, the nature of peer support is complex. Adolescents, lacking the emotional maturity of adults, may engage in behaviors that inadvertently reinforce negative emotional patterns.
Read the full story on the College of Arts and Sciences News.
Spotlight Recipient
Sarah Borowski
Assistant Professor