Parent FAQ
When you sign up for a visit to our lab, you can expect to join us for approximately 30-45 minutes to play a series of the games. You are welcome to be with your child the whole time. After, your child will receive a small toy for taking part! Or, if you are not in the Providence area, see below to check out remote study options!
What do we study?
We study the way that children come to learn about and represent important aspects of the world, from how things work (causality) to how other people think and talk (the mind). This research has many applications, from school curriculum design to understanding atypical development.
What can I expect?
When kids come into the lab, they will play games with us that are designed both to be a lot of fun, and help further scientific research. Kids usually have a lot of fun (we do too!). The whole session takes somewhere between 30-45 minutes (study dependent), and it’s here in our lab, or remotely on Zoom. You are welcome to be with your child the whole time. We are now offering remote testing opportunities for specific studies. This work would be done in your home over Zoom. Not all of our studies are being done remotely. It depends on the age of your child and the time of year.
Who can participate?
Right now, we are running experiments with children between the ages of 3-8, but in the past we have run experiments with children as young as 5 months old. If you are the parent or guardian of a child and you would like to volunteer to participate in one of our studies, you can click on the button above to sign up your child, email us or call us at 401-863-3527. We are also at the Roger Williams Zoo, where you can find us on the weekends (no appointment necessary)!
What kind of games do we play?
- Many of the games we play are designed to examine what children know about causality. For example, we often show children a box that lights up and plays music when certain objects are put on it, and we ask children questions about the objects. We also ask children questions about cause and effect, as well as examine what children know about science.
- Many of the other games we play involve stories. We tell children stories and ask them questions about what the characters are thinking or feeling. We also study how children understand pretending, learning, and other mental states by telling them stories and asking them questions about those stories.
- We’ve recently started playing some games in our lab that involve tracing children’s finger movements in space (which help us learn aspects of how their brains work). Children play touchscreen games we have designed about what other characters are thinking or feeling, or play games where they make decisions about the mental states of other people.
- Finally, other games that we play look at children’s understanding of fairness and sharing, children’s curiosity and reasoning, and how children learn from what other people say and do.
There are many ways to get involved in our research!
Research Games with Causality & Mind Lab
A Brown University Research Study
We are currently running a series of in-person research games for children 5-8 years old.
These games investigate how young children learn about the world. We are interested in how children’s learning relates to their understanding and engagement with challenges, including scientific reasoning. We also study children’s social cognition and investigate how children understand others’ mental states and concepts like fairness and effort. During these visits, your child may hear different stories, play with a new toy to figure out how it works, and be asked to answer questions.
Together, these studies will take approximately 30-45 minutes to complete. Your child will receive a small toy for taking part! If you are interested in participating, please click the link below to access our Google Calendar to find a time that works for you and your family to sign up.
Suds-For-Science!
A Brown University Research Study
How do parents support their children’s learning?
Funded by the NSF, we are investigating how an at-home parent-child STEM activity enhances children’s understanding of handwashing and germs. This study is for children 4-7 years old.
In a two-part study, families will first participate at home over Zoom with a researcher. During the intermin between the first and second sessions, parents will be asked to fill out a short questionnaire about their child’s handwashing behaviors each day. Then, ~10 days later, families come into our lab space at Brown University. Children will participate in a fun drawing activity, hear some stories, and be asked to reflect on the activity.
The sessions take around 30-45 minutes to complete, and families will receive an e-gift card for participating.
Other Active Studies
Who’s Doing Science?
A Brown University Research Study
In the “Who’s Doing Science?” study, children hear a short story about characters who take different approaches to figuring things out. We’re interested in exploring whether children view the process of figuring things out as more important than getting to the correct answer. This study is for 5-8-year-olds, and takes 10-15 minutes to complete.
Who Would You Praise?
A Brown University Research Study
In this study, we are interested in learning how children think about fairness and social reciprocity. Children will be guided through two stories about sharing and asked what one of the characters should do at the end of each story. This study only takes about 5 minutes.
BLOCK-Busters!
A Brown University Research Study
In this study your child will be asked to solve a block puzzle using one of our special machines in the lab. They will need to figure out a special rule about the blocks in order to “bust” this challenge! This game is for 5- to 8-year-olds and takes around 10-15 minutes to complete.
Guess that Gear!
A Brown University Research Study
In this study, we are interested in how parents and children think about children’s learning and engagement involving a gear task with related challenges. This study takes around 15-20 minutes and involves both the parent and child!
Who Would You Praise II?
A Brown University Research Study
In this study, we explore how children reason about others’ effort and performance. Are kids more likely more likely to praise someone who tries really hard, or someone who succeeds? We investigate this question through an interactive storybook activity that takes 5-10 minutes.
Flip, Read, Make! Storybook & Studies!
A Brown University Research Study
In a single lab visit, parents and children will read a short illustrated storybook about Jessie the Light Engineer, talk about the story, and then complete a hands-on activity using circuit-building toys. Children will also be asked a few questions about the story. The session takes about 30–40 minutes and takes place in our lab at Brown University.
Families will receive a small thank-you gift for participating.
Recently Completed Studies!
