How can I participate?
It is easy to participate. You can sign up by completing the "Participate" form, or by emailing us at learninglab@psych.stanford.edu or calling us at (650) 725-0441.

What ages are you looking for?
For our infant studies, we work with 2-12 month olds. For our preschooler studies, we work with 2.5-6.5 year olds.

Are there any risks or benefits to participating?
There are no risks associated with participation in our studies, and by participating you will be furthering our understand of child development.

Will I be paid to participate?
We do not pay participants, but we will give you either a t-shirt or a toy as a thank you for your participation.

Will I be with my child the whole time?
Yes. In the infant studies, one parent is with the infant at all times. If the other parent, or family or friends, choose to come along, they are more than welcome to sit in the observation room and watch everything that is happening. For the preschooler studies, we have enough room to accommodate both parents either in the testing room or in an observation room, depending upon the study.

What happens when I arrive?
When you arrive, you will be greeted in our waiting room by one of our researchers. The researcher will explain the study in detail, answer all of your questions, and ask you to complete a short, one page questionnaire asking a bit about your child and your family. The researcher will also ask you to read and sign a consent form, and will give you a copy to take with you.

How long will I be there?
For both the infant and preschooler studies, you will be here for no more than 30 minutes.

If I cannot get a babysitter, can I bring my other child(ren) with me to the study?
Aboslutely. Depending on the age of your other child(ren), they can either stay with you during the study, or we can arrange to have one of our Research Assistants play with them in our waiting room. Please let us know before you come to the appointment.

What happens in the infant studies?
In the infant studies, your child will sit on your lap in a dark room in front of a screen. We will project different images on the screen and record when and where your child is looking. Since your child will be leaning into your body and could therefore be affected by your reactions to the objects on the screen, we will ask you to wear darkened glasses, so that you can not see the screen at the time of testing. But we will happily show you what was on the screen, after the testing.

What happens in the preschooler studies?
Your child will sit at a small desk with the researcher and play a number of short, fun games. These are not games with a pass/fail outcome. Rather, we are simply interested in how the child plays. Depending upon the study, you will either be in the testing room or in an observation room watching your child the entire time.

What if my child doesn't like these tests?
Most infants love looking at the shapes on the screen and most preschoolers enjoy playing the games with us. However, the child or parents are free to stop the tests at any time for any reason. With no questions asked.

Will you tell me how my child has done?
We are not looking at the individual performance of children in our studies and our tests are not used to diagnose or treat any type of developmental delays. Rather, we are interested in overall trends of a particular group. Therefore we will not able to tell you how your child fared individually, but once the study is completed we can tell you what children of your child's age tend to do. The Learning Lab will update this site with recent findings and will send you a post card informing you that we have posted the findings from your child's study.

How do I get there?
Please see "Contact Us/Directions" for more detailed driving directions and parking information. We will send you a parking pass, so you do not need to worry about finding or paying for parking.