Information For Parents
Our research attempts to answer questions like these:
How do children learn words so quickly?
How does learning what something is called change how children think about it?
Do children pay attention to sources of information?
Why do children sometimes reject linguistically provided information?
How do we answer these kinds of questions?
By relying on the support of families like yours! We ask parents to bring their children to our laboratory, located off-grounds in "The Cottage" at 1023 Millmont (directly behind Barracks Road Shopping Center). A typical study involves a one-time visit, lasting about 30 minutes. Parents are with their children at all times, so no separation is involved. A typical visit is fun and enjoyable for parents and children.
Our studies are designed to be fun and engaging for your child. Most involve looking at pictures or objects, and none involve medical procedures of any kind. All of our studies have been explicitly approved by the University of Virginia’s Institutional Review Board (IRB), a panel of University and community members who are charged with ensuring that research involving human participants at the University is ethical. We work very hard to make it an enjoyable experience for the child and parent, and many families choose to participate in numerous studies.
If your family would like to participate in our research, please register your 0- to 12-year-old.
Learn More About Us:
• The questions behind our research. Pdf files of our newsletters to families that have participated in our work can be found here:
• Some press reports about the lab:
"A Gesture of Authority: What's the Point?" - Huffington Post - February, 2012
"When Do Children Develop Skepticism?" - Big Questions Online - October, 2010
"Trust & Children" - With Good Reason on VA Public Radio - August, 2008
"Preschoolers are hip to adult errors" - May 29, 2005
"Can baby sign language delay speech?" - June 6, 2005
• Frequently asked questions from parents.
If you have questions or would like more details, feel free to contact us directly.
An important note: This is basic research in cognitive development, and we do not evaluate individual performance. Rather, we are interested in the performance of children as a group. If you have specific concerns about your child’s development, please consult with your pediatrician. Additional resources on child development can be found on our Frequently Asked Questions page.