The Racial Experiences of Youth Laboratory (REYLAB) is a research laboratory in the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics at Arizona State University. The REYLAB aims to understand how racism negatively impacts Black American youth’s mental health, pubertal development and racial identity. Though racism is salient and influential throughout the lifespan, the REYLAB focuses on the developmental periods of middle childhood and adolescence. REYLAB is interdisciplinary, relying on sociological and social psychological frameworks embedded within a developmental science perspective. REYLAB uses quantitative (e.g., daily diary, survey), qualitative (e.g., focus groups, semi-structured interviews), and mixed-method approaches to examine the overall research questions.

REYLAB’s primary research aims include the following:

• How does racism impact Black American youth’s mental health?
• What factors reduce the negative impact of racism on Black American youth’s mental health?
• How is pubertal development complicated for Black American youth due to the intersection of race and gender?
• How does racism get under the skin among Black American youth?

Please browse the website for more information about the lab!