What does “I’m sorry” mean to your child?

Most parents want their children to learn to say “I’m sorry” – but many parents wonder what these words really mean to young children. This study asks: Do children view prompted and spontaneous apologies differently?

How do children learn stereotypes about groups of people?

This study asks: are stereotypes learned, or an inevitable consequence of the way our minds are wired? This study explores the conditions that affect children’s formation of stereotypes.

How do kids tell right from wrong?

Have you ever reprimanded your child, only to hear them say, “But I didn’t mean to!” ? Understanding when we are responsible for accidents and when we are not is an important part of child development. This study asks: How do children judge accidental behavior?

Do young children know that property can change owners?

Children claim toys as soon as they can talk. Learning to share, and understanding when property can be given away, takes children a long time. This study examines how children - aged 2.5 to 5 years - learn the rules of ownership.

Do children prefer fair outcomes?

Children learn to say, “that’s not fair,” from a young age, but often these declarations are self-serving. This study examines how children- aged 2.5 to 6 years- act when they can accept or reject fair and unfair offers

How do children learn to be face-recognition ‘specialists’?

During the first year of life, infants seem to lose the ability to tell the difference between faces they see frequently (i.e.: primary caregivers) and less frequently (i.e.: animal faces). This study asks: How do children develop the ability to recognize faces, and how might being exposed to one face type more than another affect children’s face processing abilities?

How do children determine who is a good source of information?

Previous research shows that children prefer learning names and uses for new objects from a person who has provided accurate information, over someone who has made mistakes in the past.

This study asks whether children’s preferences are related only to the accuracy of an information source, or whether children will also accept information from a source who is generally “good” at something (i.e.: demonstrating physical strength).

Are children generous or selfish?

It is widely believed that children are selfish and have difficulty learning how to share, but is this true? This study examines children's willingness to share with a child they have never met. We hope to learn more about how children ages 3 - 6 learn to be generous.