Frequently Asked Questions
What does joining involve?
Joining involves providing your name and contact information and the ages of your children. When a parent “signs up” it only gives university staff permission to contact the parents in the future to invite them to participate in a study. All information is confidential to Northwestern University.
Parents always have the option to say NO to participation in a particular research study. And if at any point parents decide to be taken off the contact list, they can remove their children’s name from the list immediately.
Who can join?
All parents of children between four months and four years of age are welcome. For children over age four we can refer you to researchers who study older children.
Parents, grandparents, relatives and community service providers can help by inviting parents to join studies being done by the Infant and Child Studies Group.
What happens when a parent schedules a visit?
Sessions are scheduled at a time that is convenient for both parents and children. Parents who choose to participate with their children will be guided through a brief study that lasts between 10 and 45 minutes. Each session is administered by a trained member of our team in a comfortable and fun setting on the Northwestern University Evanston campus. In some circumstances children may participate at selected sites off campus.
What happens during a visit?
You and your child first play with a member of our team in a comfortable home-like setting. What happens then depends on the particular study, but all studies are intended to be fun for infants. In some studies infants play with toys or look at pictures or watch a movie. In other studies infants listen to sounds, words, or sentences. Parents who participate stay with their infants the entire time; your child will be seated on your lap or in a high chair in front of you. During the activities, the staff simply notes which objects they choose or what they pay attention to. Although we observe your child during this period, there are never any right or wrong responses.
Children and parents generally enjoy their visit with us as they are kept entertained and busy in a safe, friendly and entertaining activity.
Activities are not begun until parents give their consent and all their questions have been answered. If you or your child becomes uncomfortable with the study, you can tell the researcher and the study will stop immediately.
For parents with other children we can arrange friendly babysitting for non-participating siblings during the studies.
Will I stay with my child?
In most cases, yes. Your child will either sit on your lap or in a high chair in front of you. But parents don't have to be present. Sometimes we do studies with infants and children at medical, educational or other community centers, after describing our procedures to a parent or guardian and obtaining their consent.
How long will the study take?
Studies usually last between 10 - 45 minutes. However, we schedule longer visits to ensure that there is plenty of time for your child to play and become comfortable with the setting and for us to answer any questions that you might have.
How much will it cost?
Nothing! Participating in any of these studies will not cost you anything. Parking is free.
Why should I sign up?
First, each visit is designed to be fun! Second, you will be helping us learn about the development of infants and young children. We hope that our growing knowledge will contribute to improving early education and intervention programs.
