Help Us Better Understand How People Connect
Human connection matters. Strong relationships, a sense of belonging, and feeling connected to the communities around us are consistently associated with well-being. Yet there is still much to learn about how social connection develops, why some forms of connection are more meaningful than others, and how identity and our social environments shape these experiences.
Our research examines these questions through the study of social connection, belonging, identity, and the ways people interact with their social worlds.
Your contribution helps support the practical costs of conducting independent research, including participant recruitment, research technology, data collection and analysis, and the communication of findings to students, professionals, and the broader public.
Why Give?
Research takes more than ideas. It requires participants, reliable research tools, careful analysis, and resources to share what we learn.
By contributing, you help make it possible to:
- Reach more diverse research participants.
- Conduct larger and stronger studies.
- Explore new questions about identity, belonging, and social connection.
- Maintain the technology and research tools needed for data collection and analysis.
- Share research findings through educational materials, presentations, podcasts, and other publicly accessible resources.
- Continue research that is driven by scientific questions rather than commercial interests.
A donation is never required to participate in our research, and contributing does not influence research participation, data collection, analysis, or the conclusions we report.
Whether you contribute financially, participate in a study, or simply share our work with others, you are helping us better understand one of the most fundamental parts of human life: how we connect with one another and find our place in the social world.
Thank you for supporting the continued exploration of social connection, identity, and belonging.
Dr. Curtis Peterson
Ecological Identity Model Research