Magik: Mixed-Age Group decIsion-maKing: integrating adolescents and adults into collaborative decision processes

Adolescents (ages 10–17) are often excluded from complex decision-making, particularly in mixed-age settings dominated by adults. This is especially problematic in healthcare and education, where ignoring adolescent perspectives leads to poor engagement and suboptimal outcomes. Despite evidence that adolescents use decision strategies comparable to adults, misconceptions about their cognitive abilities and power imbalances continue to limit their participation. Existing decision-support methods remain adult-centric, leaving mixed-age decision-making largely unexplored.MAGIK addresses this gap by developing structured methodologies to support adolescent participation in mixed-age decision-making. It introduces a novel integration of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) with psychophysiological research on group synchrony, enabling analysis of both explicit decision reasoning and the social-emotional dynamics that shape participation. While MCDA provides a rigorous framework for integrating diverse perspectives, it has rarely been adapted to adolescents or mixed-age contexts, nor does it account for emotional and relational influences.MAGIK will develop and validate a modular, game-based decision tool that structures interaction, flattens hierarchies, and fosters equitable dialogue. Through experimental studies comparing homogeneous and mixed-age groups, the project combines structured observation with behavioral and psychophysiological data (electrodermal activity and photoplethysmography) to capture group dynamics in real-world decision contexts. A multidisciplinary team with expertise in decision science, psychophysiology, and game-based methods ensures feasibility and impact.MAGIK offers a scalable framework to embed adolescent voices in complex decision-making, with relevance for education, healthcare, and policy.