The Kids In Development (KID) Lab at SMU
CURRENT STUDIES
Interested in participating in a research study? See below for details on each study and to sign up!
Project ECHO (18-24-month-olds)
(Environmental Context of Home media & Outcomes)
This study investigates how children's exposure to digital media and their general interaction and play time with caregivers in the home impact their learning and development.
Who is eligible? Caregivers and their child, between the ages of 18-24 months, must be fluent in English & have no diagnosis of a language or developmental delay
What is involved? Caregivers will complete a survey on their child’s development and then visit the SMU KID Lab for the main session. Caregivers and their children will play with toys while their audio and video is recorded. Then children will be tested on their memory for different toys and caregivers will complete a survey on their child's development. The entire session lasts about 1.5 hours and caregivers are compensated $50.
When is the study? The study is starting in summer 2026 and continuing through fall 2026.
To sign up, complete the prescreener/interest form HERE or email us with your name, your child's name and birthday, and your preferences for scheduling.
Zoom Study (2.5-3-year-olds)
The Zoom study is an entirely virtual study, conducted over Zoom, looking at how 2-3-year-old children learn from videos and storybooks. For this study, we are partnering with our colleagues at the ABCD lab at Augustana College.
Who is eligible? Any child who is 30-37-months (2.5-just turned 3) who is fluent in English and has no major known developmental delays or special needs. You must also have internet, audio, and video capabilities.
What is involved? Participation involves a single 30-minutes Zoom visit with us. During the Zoom call, your child will either watch a short video or read a short book with you. Your child will then play a short language game with us. You will also be send a short survey to complete about your child. You will receive $15 for being a part.
When is the study? This study runs through spring 2026! We schedule the Zoom call for whatever day or time works best for you (days, evenings, or weekends).
To sign up, complete the quick interest form here or email us with your name, your child's name. grade, and birthday.
The CHIRP Study (3-4 year-olds)
(Children's Heuristics In Recognizing Patterns)
The CHIRP study aims to understand how children learn about objects in their world, including the object features, patterns, and words. We are particularly interested in how their own experiences at home and in the world impact this learning.
College.
Who is eligible? Any child 3-4 years-old who is fluent in English and has no major known developmental delays or special needs.
What is involved? Participation involves a single 1 hour visit to our lab at SMU. During the visit your child will play with various sets of toys and then complete some language games with us. You will complete some surveys on their development. Your child will get a small prize and you will receive $40 for being a part.
When is the study? This study began in Fall 2025 and is wrapping up in May 2026
To sign up, take our quick pre-screener here or email us with your name, your child's name and birthday, and your preferences for scheduling.
Tech & Talking (1.5-2.5 year-olds)
This study is measuring the impact of digital media/technology on children's language development. We are trying to answer the question of how and why might word learning work differently when it is on a tablet or handheld device instead of with real objects.
Who is eligible? Any 17- and 30-months-old child who has no diagnosed delays and is primarily English-speaking and their parent.
What is involved? Participation involves a single 1-2 hour visit to our lab in Expressway Tower at SMU. During the visit, your child will interact with us playing simple games with either a tablet or toys while you (the parent) completes paperwork on your child's development. All toys are child-friendly and you may remain with your child the entire time. You will receive $20 for participating and your child will receive a small toy. We also try to give informal feedback about development at this age.
When is the study? This study is currently active and runs through the spring of 2026. We will schedule a single 1-2 hour session for whatever day or time works best for you (days, evenings, or weekends).
To sign up, take our quick pre-screener here or email us with your name, your child's name and birthday, and your preferences for scheduling.
Contact
If you are interested in any studies, reach out via email!
If you would like to be contacted about future studies, sign up for our registry!
Email: SMUKIDLab@smu.edu
Registry: https://redcap.link/smukidlab