A ‘certificate of accomplishment’ is given to young participants for completing an Infant Cognition Lab study.
Sometimes we forget it, but right in our backyard stands a major international hub of academic research. The University of Illinois conducts several hundred million dollars in funded research every year, much of it involving human subjects. One time, I answered the call to help out a study which was looking for new mothers to try out salmon baby food, but most of them don’t involve sacrificing your taste buds.
There are several labs on campus that focus their research on young children and recruit families to participate. Perhaps the most well-known research operation of the sort is the Infant Cognition Lab, part of the psychology department. Just last week, I took my 16-month-old daughter to watch a live puppet show and to touch computer screens. She had a blast, when she wasn’t squirming in my arms. It was quite a different experience from our first visit, which involved a puppet show including pretzels and Cheetos, where she sat almost perfectly still.
The Infant Cognition Lab is an inviting place to visit and can be a great diversion. The waiting area is filled with fun, clean toys (my daughter is obsessed with the rubber duck collection and never wants to leave). They have a changing table, wipes and a wide assortment of diapers – just in case. The entire process took about 40 minutes to participate in two experiments; parking is provided nearby, and there is travel compensation available.
We asked the Infant Cognition Lab coordinator Jaclyn Aldridge to give us some insight into why Chambana parents should bring their babies to ICL; why the lab has enjoyed such community support; and what the significance of the lab’s research.
Chambanamoms: Why should moms bring their babies to ICL?
The Infant Cognition Lab (ICL) is well-known internationally for its many contributions to the field of child psychology over the past 25 years. Understanding how babies think and learn about the world around them is important not only for researchers, but also for parents, educators, and health professionals. Everyone who interacts with children on a regular basis benefits from having a clearer picture of what infants can and cannot understand at various stages of their development.
A visit to our lab is a great way to get involved for parents who wish to contribute to developmental research. It can also be very informative for parents who are interested in finding out more about the questions and methods of modern developmental research.
Our studies are fun and brief, and most children enjoy our puppet shows! Also, we have students and staff available to watch older brothers and sisters while you and your baby are doing the study, so you don’t have to worry about finding a babysitter. Because we have so many different studies going on, each focusing on a different age range, participation is very flexible.
Chambanamoms: The ICL has had great community support over the years. To what do you attribute that?
The Infant Cognition Lab has had amazing support from the community for over 25 years, and we are very grateful for that support. Our parents understand the importance of developmental research, and they have been very generous in bringing their infants and toddlers to the lab, to help us better understand how children develop.
Since the lab has been opened for many years, there are now parents coming to the lab, and undergraduate students working in the lab, who were once themselves babies in the lab! It is wonderful to have this sense of continuity and long-standing community support. We simply could not do our work without our parents!
Chambanamoms: Why is this research important?
Over the past few decades, there has been a series of revolutions in developmental research: we now recognize that infants are far more cognitively competent than was traditionally believed, and the infants and toddlers of our community have played and continued to play an important role in bringing about these discoveries.
Understanding how children typically develop is important for many reasons: it not only gives us insights into the nature and origins of the human mind, but it also makes us better parents and educators by giving us a clearer picture of how children’s minds work, and it suggests new ways of assessing and helping children with atypical development.
The Infant Cognition Lab is always in need of infants and toddlers to to participate in its studies. The ICL can be reached at (217) 333-5988 or online at its website.
Do you know of other research opportunities that involve children? We’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments below.
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Right next to the infant cognition lab is the Language Acquisition Lab. More info at http://www.psych.illinois.edu/~cfisher/LALAB/LabHome.html
We’ve taken both our girls to participate in studies, and it’s always great. They are very experienced in dealing with kids and they are very patient if yours isn’t cooperating right away. They aren’t pushy about your kid staying to finish the whole thing if they’re screaming, but they often will offer to let you stay and do more if your little one is behaving well.
One thing that wasn’t mentioned in the article… they usually offer some sort of free gift, like a board book, for your child to take home to reward them for their contribution.
My children and family has participated in several studies (one a long-term study) over the years. Personally, I think of it as reciprocity since I too have done research and needed subjects (and will again some day).
The kids have fun and the research is important. Please consider participating.
My daughter enjoyed the lab until she was around 10 months old. She cried and did not want to be there. It wasn’t because of anything they did, she was just going through a phase. We hope to start taking her again sometime. All of the students that we interacted with were very kind and friendly.