Our Story
Parents are often amazed at the kinds of things their children do. Ever wondered, “How did my child learn that?”
At the University of St Andrews Baby and Child Lab we are trying to understand just that – how children learn.
We are a team of developmental psychologists made up of St Andrews university staff and students, conducting research into the developing minds of children. Who do children prefer to learn from? At what age can they start to remember past experiences? What can they understand about the world around them? These are all questions we try to answer. Using fun, game-like puzzle tasks, we investigate these developmental milestones in children all the way from infancy up until young adulthood.
We work with children of all ages at many different places, including Nibbles 'N' Giggles in St Andrews, Dundee Science Centre, St Andrews Aquarium, and at local schools and nurseries in Fife.
Alternatively, we also invite you to our purpose-built Baby and Child Lab. Centrally located in the School of Psychology and Neuroscience building in St Mary's Quadrangle on St Andrews' South Street, our spacious facility provides a child-friendly environment in which to conduct our research. On a typical visit you can expect to be greeted by our dedicated Child Lab staff, who will provide you and your child with refreshments in our waiting room and talk to you more about the study. When everyone is ready, we begin the activities in one of our purpose-built research rooms. Sometimes parents prefer to stay beside their children for the duration of the study, but we also have an observation room adjacent to our main space from which you can watch your child's progress. If you have come all the way to the lab to participate, we like to offer your child a special gift as part of their visit as a thank you for taking part and contributing to the world class research we do here. With a collection of toys and games and a motivated and friendly team of staff and volunteers, the Baby and Child Lab is a fantastic environment for our visitors.
If you would be interested in getting involved with our work, we would be very happy to add you to our participant database so that we can approach you when future studies come up. Alternatively, you can follow this page for up-to-date information about upcoming projects and outreach activities, such as family days. If you would like to know more, please do get in touch! You can message us on Facebook, or email our Lab Coordinator Geraldine at [email protected].
If you are representing an educational establishment in Scotland, the lab is keen to foster close links with you in the interest of future collaboration. Much of our work takes place in schools and nurseries, and we would very much like to create more opportunities for partnership between the university and surrounding clubs and institutions. Please contact the Lab Coordinator Geraldine at [email protected] if you would be interested in working with us.
