About us
We are a developmental psychology lab at Brown University, headed by David Sobel. We study the way that children, especially very young children from 2-5 years of age, come to learn about and represent important aspects of the world, from how things work (causality) to how other people think and talk (the mind). This research has many applications, from school curriculum design to understanding atypical development.
We rely on parents to bring their children into the lab and play games with us. The games are designed both to be a lot of fun, and help further scientific research. If you are the parent or guardian of a child in the right age range, and you would like to volunteer to participate in one of our studies, you can email us or call us at 401-863-3527.
Right now, in the Causality and Mind Lab, we are running experiments with 3- and 4-year-old children.
One game we play is designed to examine what children know about causality, or cause and effect. We have created a box that lights up and plays music when certain objects are put on it. We play with the blocks and the machine and then ask children some questions about the blocks.
We also read stories to the children. These are stories about children or other creatures either pretending something, learning something, or believing in something. We read these stories and then ask some questions about them.
Kids usually have a lot of fun (we do too!). The whole session takes somewhere between 30-45 minutes, and it's here in our lab. You are welcome to be with your child the whole time.
Interested in participating?
Click here to sign up your child.
Give us a call at (401) 863-3527, or email 
Our schedule is very flexible and we can work with yours!
Frequently Asked Questions:
How old must my child be to participate?
Can my child participate if he/she is being tested or treated for dyslexia? Early intervention? Speech therapy? If English is not his/her native language?
How long will my appointment last?
May I bring my child's siblings to the appointment too?
Will I receive the results of my child's appointment?
I would like to participate! What should I do?
What should I expect when I bring my child to the lab?
I lost my permission slip/directions. What should I do?
We are usually looking for children ages 3-5 years old to participate in our projects. Sometimes we also have games for children as young as 15 months, and the Infant Lab at Brown works with children ages 3-25 months. Click here to sign up your child and we will notify you if we have currently have projects for your child's age range.
Can my child participate if he/she is being tested or treated for dyslexia? Early intervention? Speech therapy? If English is not his/her native language?
Please let us know if you have concerns about your child's ability to communicate, and we will consider this on a case-by-case basis. Most likely, your child will still be able to participate, but please bring this to our attention.
How long will my appointment last?
Our appointments last about 30 minutes, depending on the number of games we have for your child's age group. This includes time for your child to warm up and get comfortable.
May I bring my child's siblings to the appointment too?
Yes! Siblings are welcome to play in our waiting area, and we often have extra supervision available so that you can focus on your participating child. If you bring an extra child with you, please let us know ahead of time so we can ensure that we have extra supervision. If you have more than one child participating in our studies, we will schedule their appointments at the same time.
Will I receive the results of my child's appointment?
Our studies explore how children learn about the world, and our results focus on the population of 3-5 year olds, not an individual child. There are no right or wrong answers in our games, we will not test your child's aptitude, and your child will not be given a score or individual report. Once a year, the lab releases a newsletter about the results of our studies and what we have learned from our data. You will receive this newsletter in the mail. You are also welcome to inquire about our published results, by emailing us or viewing our Publications page.
I would like to participate! What should I do?
If you would like to sign up, please click here, and provide us with your contact information. Alternatively, you can email us or call (401)863-3527. Please provide the following information: your and your child's name, mailing and email addess, phone number, and your child's date of birth.
What should I expect when I bring my child to the lab?
You and your child will be greeted by one of our experimenters (see the People page for photos), who will answer any questions you may have. Your child will play with some toys in our waiting area to warm up and get comfortable. When everyone is ready, you and your child will move into the game room, where your child will be seated at a table across from the experimenter and will play some games for our current projects. These games will be video-taped to record your child's answers, as described in the permission slip. You will be seated beside your child throughout the session. When your child has completed the games, he/she will be given a prize, and the experimenter will describe to you the games that were played.
I lost my permission slip/directions. What should I do?
Don't worry, we have extra copies of the permission slip here at the lab for you to sign when you arrive. The directions can be found on our Directions page, or downloaded here (PDF).
