What do we study?

• We study what infants know about the world around them and how family relationships impact development. For example, do infants understand social interactions? Do infants’ relationships with parents shape their thinking and their ability to manage emotions?

What's involved in participation?

• There are a variety of study options available!
  • One-time, 30-minute visits to the lab where infants (2-24months) watch events on a puppet stage.
  • Multiple visits to the lab where you play and interact with your baby (starting prenatally).
• All studies take place on the MU Campus with parking provided.
• Visits are scheduled at your convenience, including evening and weekend times.

Is compensation provided?

• We provide monetary compensation for your time! If you are traveling from a distance to participate, you may be eligible for travel reimbursement.

What is the societal benefit of participation?

• We study what infants know about the world around them and how family relationships impact development. For example, do infants understand social interactions? Do infants’ relationships with parents shape their thinking and their ability to manage emotions?

How to participate?

Complete the interest form.

How to contact us?

You can email us at babylab@missouri.edu

Call us at 573-882-6683

What do we study?

This study examines the legacy of early experiences as indexed via adult attachment representations for adults' neurocognitive processing of emotional facial expressions prior to becoming a parent in a sample of Black/African Americans and White/European Americans. 

What's involved in participation?

Participation involves completing online questionnaires (about 1 hour) and one visit to the lab (2 hours). During the lab visit, participants complete an interview, and their brain activity is monitored while they view images of infant and adult faces. 

Is compensation provided?

Participants will receive a $50 gift card. Participants may also be eligible to receive a $100 gift card to a local hair salon.

How to participate?

Check out the Family and Child Development Lab page to learn more.

 

What do we study?

• A research study on friendship, texting, and well-being with high school-aged teens.

What's involved in participation?

• You and your friend visiting our research lab for surveys & a short activity to do with your friend (60 minutes).
• Text messaging your friend as usual for 2 weeks.
• Coming to the research lab 2 weeks later and securely sharing text messages between you and your close friend (30 minutes)
• You and your friend completing brief surveys online 6 months later (30 minutes).

Eligibility?

• You are a current or rising 9th-12th grader.
• You have a close same-gender friend who is also a current or rising 9th-12th grader.
• Teens must own a smartphone and use it regularly to communicate with the participating friend.

Is compensation provided?

• Both friends will receive $20 per lab visit ($40 total) and can enter to win a $100 gift card by completing an online survey six months later.

How to participate?

Complete the interest form.

How to contact us?

Name: Allie Spiekerman
Email: aspiekerman@missouri.edu
Phone: (650) 703-0929

What do we study?

• A research study investigating infant understanding of attachment in relation to parenting behavior and infant development.

What's involved in participation?

• A 1.5-hour visit in the lab
• Parents will fill out background information, interact with their infant, and put together stories from a set of words provided.
• Infants will watch videotaped events. 

Eligibility?

• Parents with infants at about 4-5 months.

Is compensation provided?

• You will be offered a $50 gift card for the lab visit.

How to participate?

Appointments are scheduled at your convenience! We offer Monday through Saturday visits, with parking provided. 
Email: babylab@missouri.edu

How to contact us?

Email: babylab@missouri.edu
 

What do we study?

• A team with the Milestones Lab at the University of Missouri is interested
  in how children (6-to-12-years) understand emotions and use
  reasoning when thinking about fairy tales.

What's involved in participation?

• Single, hour-long set of activities.
• Children will complete a video-recorded task called the Fairy Tale Test.
• Parents will be asked to complete a set of computer surveys about children's emotional and cognitive skills separately. 

Eligibility?

• Children (6-to-12-years) and one parent.
• Research participants will need to be English-speaking. 

Is compensation provided?

• Families will be compensated with $30 Amazon.com gift cards for their time. 

How to participate?

Families would be able to participate either online using Zoom, or by visiting our lab in McReynolds Hall (305 S 5th St, Columbia, MO 65201).
If you are interested, please complete a screening and scheduling form here (https://bit.ly/FTTatMU).

How to contact us?

Please contact the researcher, Dr. Jordan Booker (bookerja@missouri.edu) with any questions.