Frequently Asked Questions
How long are your studies?
Our studies are short (usually 5-30 minutes – when a study is available for you and your child, a researcher will contact you to provide specific details). We do our best to keep things short and fun!
What happens during the study?
Studies typically involve your child playing games, listening to stories, and/or watching videos. For infant studies, your child will be in the room with you during the entire study – either sitting in an infant seat or on your lap. Some studies may involve other activities; if so, the researcher who contacts you will provide details.
Where do I park on campus?
We have free reserved parking for our participant families. Directions are provided to our reserved parking area (see our handy Google Map!), and a researcher will meet you in the parking lot. We’ll walk you up to our labs!
Will I receive a gift for participating?
Yes! We provide a small gift for your child for participating. We also provide $5 for travel reimbursement.
Does this involve multiple visits?
Studies usually involve just one visit, and visits are scheduled at your convenience.
I have a busy schedule. Can you still accommodate us?
Yes! We can schedule a time to fit your needs. If you need a weekend time, let us know – we can make this happen!
Who can participate in these studies?
We’re looking for infants 3 months old to children 12 years old to participate in our studies. If you would be interested in participating with your child, we welcome you to sign up!
While we are primarily looking for typically-developing children, we are also looking for deaf infants and children as well as children who have siblings who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Okay, I’ve signed up and I’m ready to participate! Now what?
Great! We’re glad you’ve decided to participate in our studies with your infant or child. We couldn’t do this without you! When we have a study that matches your child’s age range, we’ll contact you via phone or email to let you know and tell you about what the study entails. You can then choose to participate in that study – or not! The choice is always up to you. If you aren’t interested in that particular study but still want to be contacted about other studies in the future, we’ll contact you the next time we have a relevant study.
I learned about the Kid Science Labs from a postcard. How did you get my/my child's information?
With the permission of the California State Department of Human Services, we reach out to all new parents in the San Diego area to invite them to participate in research. However, unless you contact us, you won't hear from us again. Please accept our apology if this postcard was unwelcome or received in error.