Wee Science, the University of Edinburgh’s new child development research group, is looking for families who want to take part in fun studies of how babies and kids learn to think and talk.
The first few years of life are critical for linguistic, cognitive and social development. The generous participation of families like yours makes it possible for us to better understand what happens in these years.
We study how babies and children think and learn by observing them as they play games or watch short animations. We specially design these experiences to tell us what kids know or perceive about the world. The studies are fun and interesting, with no right or wrong answers. We have lots of different studies, that focus on children all the way from birth up to 10 years and beyond.
What does your visit involve?
Participation involves a single visit to our child-friendly lab at 7 George Square, in the Department of Psychology. When you come is up to you – we are very flexible with timing. Visits typically last between 30 and 60 minutes, although the studies themselves are typically shorter (brief studies for little babies, longer games for big kids). You will be with your child the whole time.
During the study, we will usually record what your child does using a video camera. Afterwards, you will have the opportunity to discuss the study further with the experimenter, and then hang out in the lab afterwards. We will also give you a voucher for Peter’s Yard cafe as a thank you. Some hot chocolate makes a nice treat for the child scientists after all their hard work (and their parents deserve some coffee).
