The DoT Lab @ Occidental College

Who raises their hand in school? How do children feel about sharing versus withholding their answers in class? This study examines these questions, with the goal of developing new strategies to support students' confidence in the classroom. 

When do children ask, "Why?" We explore whether children are more curious about why things change in the world versus stay the same. We will use these findings to discover how to promote children's curiosity about the world around them.

How do children approach disagreement with others? In this study, we examine children's ability to seek compromise following a disagreement with another child. We explore the role of children's intellectual humility, i.e., recognizing the limits of our own knowledge, in this process.

Which stereotypes do children challenge? We test whether children are more likely to challenge ability stereotypes (to try activities labeled as "too hard" for their group) than interest stereotypes (to try activities labeled as "too boring" for their group). The study's findings will inform interventions to reduce the negative impact of "stickier" stereotypes.