Baby Lab

At the Early Child Development Lab in the Psychology Department, we explore how learning occurs in the first few years of life.

Our current research studies look into the role of cultural experience in early learning, including young children's experience with technology.

We keep your name and address on file ONLY if you have taken the initiative to contact us, and only if you have indicated further interest in participating in our research. All information is kept secure and not shared with anyone else. Participants in our studies are identified by number rather than by name in research records. All records and data are treated as confidential.

Our research assistants will first meet you at the designated parking space and help you enter our building.

Giving Your "Informed Consent"

We will ask you to fill out an information sheet while your baby becomes familiar with the environment. Next, we will tell you about the study and answer your questions. You will then be asked to read and sign the consent form, indicating that you have been informed about the procedures involved and are giving permission for your baby's participation.

For Studies Conducted on Campus

Your child will be seated on your lap or near you during the whole session.

In some of our studies, your child will watch a short live presentation with 3-D objects or toys on a small stage. The 'show' may include a "magic event" that violates a physical concept (e.g., gravity) to see if young babies notice it.

In other studies, your child will be given toys to play with. We design short activities and see how children go about solving the problem at hand.

For Studies Done at Your Home

One of our researchers will visit you and your child at home at a time most convenient for your family.  We typically would record, for a period of time, a slice of everyday activities, followed by presenting a set of objects or toys for a more structured activity.