Bogaerts received her master's and doctorate in clinical psychology from KU Leuven, where she also lives and works as a child psychologist. She is also affiliated with the University of Amsterdam, where she teaches in the bachelor and master of clinical developmental psychology and conducts research within the Clinical Developmental Psychology program group.    

What does your project involve?  

'With our Sharing-ID project, we investigate how young people shape their identity when interacting with others - both online and offline,' Annabel explains. 'We look specifically at how they share personal information with parents and peers, how the reactions of those others affect their self-image, and what that means for their psychological well-being. After all, identity formation doesn't happen in isolation: it's a process of continuous negotiation with those around you.'    

Why did you apply for the Impact Call? 

'With support from the Amsterdam University Fund, we are developing a new measurement instrument to map exactly how these identity interactions take place. To do so, we are analyzing conversations with young people and their parents or friends to gain insight into the context, content, and mutual influence of these exchanges - online and face-to-face.'

'We then test how these factors are related to young people's psychological well-being. Thanks to the Impact Call, we can develop and validate this tool together with young people.'    

What do you hope for your project?  

'Identity development is a central theme in young people's lives, especially in a world where digital communication is becoming increasingly important. With this project, we want to provide a new theoretical framework that fits the challenges of our time. And perhaps more importantly, a practically applicable, validated instrument with which clinicians and researchers can better support young people in developing a stable, coherent, and positive identity.'