Research Projects in Typical Development
Our research in typical development encompasses the areas of concept formation and quantitative reasoning. We study these topics in infants as well as children from about 4 to 15 years of age.
Looking Time and Eye-Tracking Experiments With Babies
In infants we use both behavioral and eye-tracking techniques to ask questions such as: “What is the relationship between knowing words for objects, and being able to keep track of how many there are when they go out of sight?”; and: “Can infants match sights (jumping characters) and sounds (tones) based on numerosity?”
In infants we use both behavioral and eye-tracking techniques to ask questions such as: “What is the relationship between knowing words for objects, and being able to keep track of how many there are when they go out of sight?”; and: “Can infants match sights (jumping characters) and sounds (tones) based on numerosity?”
Visual Processing and Cognitive Development in Infants and Toddlers
In collaboration with the MIND Institute’s Fragile X Research and Treatment Center, we are currently conducting a longitudinal study regarding the development of visual and cognitive processing in infants with Fragile X syndrome. The study includes infants with fragile X syndrome between 6-72-months-old, typically developing infants between 6-48-months-old and infants with Down syndrome between 10-48-months-old. During the study we use eye tracking technology to observe the infant's looking patterns to various visual displays presented on a screen as well as complete standardized assessments of the infant's development. The information gained from this research can be utilized in future studies of early interventions using behavioral, medical and education-based treatments.
*If interested in participating, please contact the Neurocognitive Development Lab at (530) 747-4508.
In collaboration with the MIND Institute’s Fragile X Research and Treatment Center, we are currently conducting a longitudinal study regarding the development of visual and cognitive processing in infants with Fragile X syndrome. The study includes infants with fragile X syndrome between 6-72-months-old, typically developing infants between 6-48-months-old and infants with Down syndrome between 10-48-months-old. During the study we use eye tracking technology to observe the infant's looking patterns to various visual displays presented on a screen as well as complete standardized assessments of the infant's development. The information gained from this research can be utilized in future studies of early interventions using behavioral, medical and education-based treatments.
*If interested in participating, please contact the Neurocognitive Development Lab at (530) 747-4508.
Infant Attention Studies
The Infant Attention Study investigates the role that visual attention plays inter-connectedly between perception, developing cognition and behavior in early infancy. Specifically, we are interested in how infants perceive and learn about objects in the world, and how selective attention is involved in this area of cognitive development. Object-based selective attention is thought to be an essential component of statistical learning mechanisms – processes that drive our ability to recognize regularities and patterns in our environment - and to learn from the changes in the dynamic world around us. Additionally, object-based selective attention and “the object concept” are considered integral building blocks for higher-level thinking such as categorizing and counting.
This study focuses on two main experimental groups; an infant population with fragile X syndrome (a genetic disorder which causes atypical neurocognitive development), and a control group of typically-developing infants 6, 10, and 14-months of age. We use eye-tracking technology to assess the way infants look at different object displays; actually tracking their attention as it moves around the screen. We then compare the visual behavior of the group of infants with fragile X to the group with no disorder. This provides us with a measure of how attention is working differently in the brains of infants with fragile X, as compared to how attention functions in “typically”-developing infant brains.
The Infant Attention Study investigates the role that visual attention plays inter-connectedly between perception, developing cognition and behavior in early infancy. Specifically, we are interested in how infants perceive and learn about objects in the world, and how selective attention is involved in this area of cognitive development. Object-based selective attention is thought to be an essential component of statistical learning mechanisms – processes that drive our ability to recognize regularities and patterns in our environment - and to learn from the changes in the dynamic world around us. Additionally, object-based selective attention and “the object concept” are considered integral building blocks for higher-level thinking such as categorizing and counting.
This study focuses on two main experimental groups; an infant population with fragile X syndrome (a genetic disorder which causes atypical neurocognitive development), and a control group of typically-developing infants 6, 10, and 14-months of age. We use eye-tracking technology to assess the way infants look at different object displays; actually tracking their attention as it moves around the screen. We then compare the visual behavior of the group of infants with fragile X to the group with no disorder. This provides us with a measure of how attention is working differently in the brains of infants with fragile X, as compared to how attention functions in “typically”-developing infant brains.
Faces and Emotion Study
Visual attention and emotion processing have implications for social-emotional and cognitive wellbeing. While some level of attention is necessary for adaptive functioning, excessive attention to threat (i.e. threat bias) in the environment has been linked to the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders. This study investigates the link between early visual processing biases, related neural activation, and symptoms of anxiety and emotion dysregulation in later development. We use a combination of neuroscientific methods to examine brain activity via EEG/ERP, and behavioral methods including infrared eye-tracking and neuropsychological assessments to examine the brain-behavior relationship in social-cognitive development.
Participants are typically-developing children, ranging from infancy to school-age. During the first session, children passively view images of faces varying in emotional expression and other emotionally-evoking images while brain activity is recorded via EEG/ERP. During the second session, children complete and eye-tracking task which includes viewing images of facial expressions on a computer screen while we record the reflection of light in the eye to measure where the eye is looking.
Visual attention and emotion processing have implications for social-emotional and cognitive wellbeing. While some level of attention is necessary for adaptive functioning, excessive attention to threat (i.e. threat bias) in the environment has been linked to the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders. This study investigates the link between early visual processing biases, related neural activation, and symptoms of anxiety and emotion dysregulation in later development. We use a combination of neuroscientific methods to examine brain activity via EEG/ERP, and behavioral methods including infrared eye-tracking and neuropsychological assessments to examine the brain-behavior relationship in social-cognitive development.
Participants are typically-developing children, ranging from infancy to school-age. During the first session, children passively view images of faces varying in emotional expression and other emotionally-evoking images while brain activity is recorded via EEG/ERP. During the second session, children complete and eye-tracking task which includes viewing images of facial expressions on a computer screen while we record the reflection of light in the eye to measure where the eye is looking.