For Parents
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you study?
Who can participate?
What is a session like?
How long is each session?
Will my child enjoy participating?
What if my child does not want to participate?
Will my child receive feedback about their performance?
What will my child receive as a thank you?
Who will be working with my child?
When will you visit my child's school?
What do you do with my child's answers and/or audio files?
Can I receive a copy of my child's results?
What do you do with the results of the study?
What if I have other questions?
What do you study?
We are interested in how children understand and respond to the social world. Our research investigates topics such as children’s understanding of what others think, want, and feel; children’s understanding of property ownership; and children’s ability to share and learn through pretend-play.
Who can participate?
Currently we are conducting research with children 2-7 years of age. Only children who have permission from their parents/guardians, and who themselves consent will participate in our research projects. We conduct our research in child care centres, public schools, and preschools in the Kitchener-Waterloo Region (including Guelph).
What is a session like?
Your child will watch stories enacted with small toys/puppets or animated on a computer. Following each story, we will ask questions such as, "What do you think this character will do next?"
How long is each session?
Each child will participate on one occasion only, which lasts between 10-15 minutes.
Will my child enjoy participating?
Our studies are designed like games and are similar to activities they engage in daily. Our studies have been ethically approved by the Office of Research Ethics at University of Waterloo. We have also gained approval by the Waterloo Region District School Board Research Committee.
What if my child does not want to participate?
If your child wishes to stop at any time, the session will immediately end and they will be congratulated on having done a good job.
Will my child receive feedback about their performance?
All children are told they did a great job helping with our games and stories.
What will my child receive as a thank you?
Each child (regardless of completing the entire session) will receive a sticker and a certificate in appreciation for their participation.
Who will be working with my child?
All members of the lab have received a Vulnerable Sector Criminal Records Check within the past six months and have current immunization records.
When will you visit my child's school?
Your child's school will have a reminder sign placed somewhere in the building that displays the date(s) we will be visiting.
What do you do with my child's answers and/or audio files?
Your child’s responses will be coded and only identified by a participant number. All data and information is strictly confidential and will be kept in a secure location at the University of Waterloo. Only children who have received permission from their parent/guardian to be audio recorded will be recorded.
Can I receive a copy of my child's results?
The results of our studies are always in the form of group averages and individual children are not identifiable. We do not disclose results from any individual participant to the school, parents, or child. Once the data has been collected you will receive a newsletter which describes the results of the studies conducted and the research focuses of the lab. The newsletters are given to your child's school/child care centre and we ask that the principal/supervisor distribute them to you.
What do you do with the results of the study?
If the results make a significant contribution to the current understandings of child development, a paper illustrating these findings may be published in a scientific journal. Please click here for a list of current publications.
What if I have other questions?
If you have any questions about our research projects, please do not hesitate to contact me: 519-888-4567 ext. 33054 or friedman@uwaterloo.ca