Frequently Asked Questions
1. What do you study at the Early Minds Lab?
Babies and children see the world in similar and sometimes different ways than adults. We study how infants' perceptual systems--which encompasses visual memory, object salience, and feature categorization--develop. We also study language development in infants. Babies will look at displays that they find captivating and exciting, so we make all of our studies with this in mind!
2. What should I expect during my visit?
Your visit will take about a half hour, and your baby will be with you the entire time. We will meet you at our reserved parking spot and walk with you to our lab on the UMB campus. Once at the lab, we will bring you to our toy-filled greeting room and go over the administrative part of the visit. The study itself should take about 10 minutes! Afterwards, we will give you $30, a small gift, and a certificate of participation for your baby and a free parking pass--all to say thank you for coming in to participate!
3. What do you do during the study?
Your baby will sit on your lap to watch a short video presented on our Tobii T120 eye tracker. It looks like a computer monitor, but it uses a safe infrared light to measure exactly where your baby is looking. The Tobii measures your baby's precise gaze location 60 times per second!
4. What is the purpose of the study?
We are supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health. By studying how typical children develop, we can better understand how to help atypically developing children. Plus, advances in science are good for everyone!
5. What if my child becomes fussy during the study?
We understand that young children are not always the most cooperative! Feel free to let us know that you want to take a break or end the session at any time.
6. We had a great time during our visit to the EarlY Minds Lab? Can we participate again?
Of course! We run several studies during the course of the year. As your child ages, they may qualify for another one of our studies! You are by no means obligated to participate in a future study, but we welcome you to!
7. Can I bring my other child/children?
Sure! Just let us know when you make your appointment and we will make sure that we have a research assistant on staff that day to sit with your child while your baby participates.
8. Where is the Early Minds Lab?
We are located on the University of Massachusetts-Boston Harbor campus at 100 Morrissey Boulevard in Boston! The day before your appointment, we will email you directions and parking instructions, and we will call you to confirm that the directions are clear and answer any last minute questions you may have. We are also accessible by MBTA by taking the Red Line (Ashmont or Braintree bound) to JFK/UMass station and then hopping aboard a free shuttle bus (bus #1) to the UMB campus center. We will meet you at the bus (or the parking space if you drive!).
9. What if I have to cancel my appointment?
No problem! At the Early Minds Lab, we understand that life with small children can be hectic. If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, just give us a call or email.
