Do science with us!
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Our virtual research lab is currently looking for kid scientists between 4 and 12 years old to help us with our research!
Parents and kids can now contribute to science by playing our fun, interactive studies from the comfort of home.
All you need is a computer and a webcam to participate, and kids receive $5 for participating!
Current Research Projects
Here are some brief descriptions of the research we're currently super excited about!
Want to learn more? Contact us at thecadlab@umass.edu and a team member will be happy to answer your questions.
How do kids' beliefs shape their attention?
In this study, we are curious to know whether children pay more attention to information that confirms what they already know, or to information that tells them something new. To study this, we will play an exciting and interactive "spot-the-difference" game.
For this research, any kids between 5 and 9 years old are welcome to participate.
How do children think about national identity?
As America becomes more diverse, we are interested in examining how children understand their own national identity and the national identity of others. In this research, we explore how children think about what it means to be American and how children use national identity to make guesses about other people.
For this research, we are especially interested in working with families who identify as Hispanic and/or Latino/Latine and have a child between 5 and 12 years old.
What do kids think about authority figures?
As American adults think about their relationships with institutions, like the police and school systems, we are curious what kids know about these institutions. In this research, we are asking what ideas children have about how their peers might interact with authority figures from important American institutions.
For this research, we are interested in working with 5 - 12 year old kids who identify as Black or Mixed-Black.
Healthy Development Initiative
The CAD Lab is a proud member of the Healthy Development Initiative (HDI) at UMass Amherst. HDI is a collection of labs that strive to understand and promote the psychological and physical health and well-being of children, adolescents, adults, and seniors in our communities.
Learn more about our sister labs below!
Minority Health (FAM) Lab is interested in gaining a better understanding of how family relationships can yield benefits for mental health among youth from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds. They approach this question through a biopsychosocial lens, and examine biological (hormones), psychological (emotion regulation), and social (cultural values) factors that might explain the impact social relationships have on mental health.
The goal of the Violence & Trauma Across The Lifespan (ViTAL) Lab is to understand the effects of domestic violence and related forms of traumatic stress on the well-being of adults and children of diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds. They use this work to develop, adapt, and test novel programs to reduce the negative effects of violence and promote resilient outcomes.
