Welcome to UCSC Baby Lab!
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.
Show Time!
Your baby will be seated on your lap during the whole session.
In some of our studies, your baby will watch a 5-minute show presented on a small stage. The show includes a “magic event” that violates a physical concept (e.g., gravity). Research assistants will observe your baby’s reactions to the show to see if your baby notices the violation.
In other studies, your baby will be given toys to play with. We design a “game” that requires cognitive reasoning and see if babies are able to solve the problem in the game. In this case, we measure infants’ exploratory behavior by recording and coding their responses in the game.
What Happens to the Data?
The results of our studies will be presented at a professional conference and published in a scientific journal. In all cases, no personal information will be revealed in the presentation. A summary of the results for parents will also be made available on our website.