Payton D's Senior Project Blog

Project Title:
BASIS Advisor: Mr. Herman
Internship Location: Phoenix Children's Hospital
Onsite Mentor: Kareem A Hassan, MD



Project Abstract

My research aims to explore how sibling relationships—whether close in age, hierarchical, or absent—affect the way individuals process information, develop empathy, and navigate social environments. By examining the developmental contrasts between only children and those with siblings, I hope to contribute to the broader understanding of familial dynamics and their lasting effects on individual identity formation.

    My Posts:

  • The Therapist Is Out!- 4/30/2025

    Hi guys! Welcome back for the final time! Much like my feelings about having siblings, I’m experiencing a whirlwind of emotions as I’m writing this final post. On one hand, I’m excited- this is the last hurdle before graduation, but on the other, it’s surreal to be saying goodbye to BASIS, especially because I always... Read More

  • Cautious, Close, or Conflicted?- 4/23/2025

    Hi guys! Welcome back!  We are reaching the end of Senior Research Projects, and I’m excited to share my penultimate findings with you all! Next week I am planning to speak on everything I learned about siblings; however, my last real data analysis I did this week was about how sibling roles and attachment patterns... Read More

  • Updates!- 4/16/2025

    Hi guys! Welcome back!  I know that recently my blog posts have been decently long and extremely detailed reports on my findings from that week, but this week I wanted to keep it on the shorter side, give some updates, and talk about where I see this project concluding.  For starters, I wanted to talk... Read More

  • Girls, Guidance, Growth- 4/9/2025

    Hi guys! Welcome back!  I’m super excited this week to talk about the differences and similarities that I saw between families where there was one brother and more than one sibling dynamic. To make comprehension a little easier I labeled each participant as “sister 1,2…” or “brother 1,2…” in hopes that drawing conclusions will be... Read More

  • Contrast and Connections- 4/2/2025

    Hi guys! Welcome back!  I’m super excited this week to talk about the differences and similarities that I saw between families where there was one sister and one brother sibling dynamics. To make comprehension a little easier I labeled each participant as “sister 1,2…” or “brother 1,2…” in hopes that drawing conclusions will be easier!... Read More

  • Gender Genealogy-3/26/2025

    Hi guys! Welcome back!  I’ve been reading through many survey responses that I received from Mr. Hermann’s 11th grade APUSH class this week, and I'm excited to dive into how only having girl siblings affects one’s development compared to only having boy siblings. My family's story became a living laboratory of sibling dynamics, demonstrating how... Read More

  • Sibling Sequences-3/19/2025

    Hi guys! Welcome back!  Last week was a much needed spring break, but this week I'm excited to dive into how birth order affects sibling relationships. That magical position in the family lineup — first, middle, last, or only child — shapes so much about who we become and how we interact with our brothers... Read More

  • Springtime Scoop- 3/12/2025

    Hi everyone!  Happy spring break! I've officially started diving into my sibling data, and I couldn't be more thrilled about it. With all my recent traveling and track commitments, I'm actually grateful for the extra week I have to draw some additional conclusions. Speaking of siblings, I've been reflecting on what it means to be... Read More

  • Singular Stories-3/5/2025

    Hi guys! Welcome back!  Since the last time we talked a lot has happened! In reading over last week’s blog post, I realized the more solemn tone than what I wanted to maintain for my blog, which I will fix moving forward! I was quite stressed with some external factors last week, but will do... Read More

  • Solo Stereotypes- 2/26/2025

    Welcome back everyone!  Picture this: You're standing in the checkout line, wrangling a toddler and juggling groceries when the cashier casually asks, "Another one coming soon?" For many parents, this question is more than small talk—it's a loaded inquiry about their family's future. Lauren Sandler, an only child herself, found herself in this exact situation.... Read More

  • A Triplet’s Truth-2/19/2025

    Welcome back everyone! Remember last week we thought we figured out the multiple birth situation? Plot twist: we didn’t. Here’s the thing about being an accidental therapist-in-training: sometimes your carefully crafted theories get demolished by new data, and these triplet surveys completely changed the sibling theories that we had formed from our twins.  While our... Read More

  • Carbon Copy Confessions-2/12/2025

    Hi guys! Long time, no blog!  In today’s session I figured that we could unpack the ultimate nature versus nurture experiment: twins. Side note: how cool is it that they get a built-in best friend straight from the womb! As your favorite only child, turned people-watcher, turned therapist, I’ve been fascinated by these genetic copy-paste... Read More

  • The Therapist Is In!-2/7/2025

    Hello everyone! My name is Payton Dymek and I am here to be your accidental therapist-in-training. While my main job is being a senior in high school, I’m completing a Senior Research Project (SRP) for my high honors diploma. However, think of it as an amateur psychology crash-course, where my years of people-watching will be... Read More