Interested in participating?
The MACLab works with children (ages 3+) and adults to better understand the relationship between cognition & Culture. Our studies involve fun games, stories, and activities, with rewards like candy and toys.
We conduct these studies one-on-one with children in person at the lab, in the local museum, and online on Zoom.
Our online studies can be found on our lab page for Children Helping Science, a platform that helps families participate in studies from home!
Current Studies
Hide-and-Seek (HAS)
In this study, children will be paired with a peer and engage in a series of tasks to see how they coordinate and anti-coordinate with one another.
Team Leaders: Julia Bainbridge &
Gita Paladugu
Age Range: 18+, and 3-8 years old
SEARCH
In these studies, children and adults will explore novel digital environments.
Team Leader: Alissa Rivero
Age Range: 4-9 years old
True Self (TS)
In this study, kids will hear stories about people who have changed in different ways and judge how much they have changed. They’ll also be asked to offer their views on the moral goodness or badness of various behaviors.
Team Leader: Julia Smith
Age Range: 5-12 years old
CREATE
In these studies, children and adults will have the opportunity to interact with open-ended toys that can be used to create different shapes.
Team Leader: Alissa Rivero
Age Range: 18+, and 4-6 years old
Social Accounting (SAS)
In this study, children and adults will hear stories about people who engage in the same actions but do so for different reasons. They’ll also be asked to offer their views on the moral goodness or badness of different intentions.
Team Leader: Serena Spada
Age Range: 18+, and 4-7 years old
Play With Toys
In these studies, children will play with a number of interactive toys, such as building blocks.
Team Leader: Alissa Rivero
Age Range: 5-6 years old