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At McMaster University, we study how babies learn to see, hear, speak, and interact with other people. Infants and their parents have been participating in these studies at McMaster for over 30 years now, and the research from these studies is widely quoted in medical journals, parenting magazines, and textbooks. Parents are with their babies at all times and the studies are designed to be easy, short and fun. Free parking is provided and siblings are always welcome.
McMaster University researchers have discovered from research...
Babies would rather look at faces than anything else
Infants can tell red, yellow, and green from grey at birth, but not blue
Attending interactive music classes for infants enhances brain and social development
Babies prefer happy faces to any other facial emotion
McMaster University researchers have discovered from research...
Babies would rather look at faces than anything else
Infants can tell red, yellow, and green from grey at birth, but not blue
Attending interactive music classes for infants enhances brain and social development
Babies prefer happy faces to any other facial emotion
Learn More About our Researchers
Auditory Development Lab Learn More
Dr. Laurel J. Trainor, Director
Susan Marsh-Rollo, Research Assistant
905-525-9140 x27114
marshse@mcmaster.ca,
Elaine Whiskin, Research Assistant
905-525-9140 x24797
auditory@mcmaster.ca
Under the direction of Dr. Laurel Trainor, the Auditory Development Lab studies how infants hear and respond to speech and music. We are interested in what auditory skills infants possess, how these skills develop, and how we can develop measures to identify children in early infancy who may be at risk for later language or reading problems.
The Baby Lab (Visual Development) Learn More
Dr. Gabriel(Naiqi) Xiao, Director
Research Assistant
905-525-9140 x 23130
babylab@mcmaster.ca
Dr. Gabriel (Naiqi) Xiao is studying how infants’ cognitive capacities are shaped by what they see and what they hear in everyday lives. Understanding such mechanisms that drives development will help us detect atypical development at early stages of life.
Social Development and Autism Lab Learn More
Dr. Mel Rutherford, Director
Research Assistant
905-525-9140 x26032
mcmasterautismstudy@gmail.com
http://www.earlyautismstudy.org/
Dr. Mel Rutherford is interested in how children learn about the social world around them and how they develop the skills needed to be a part of it, as well as early markers of autism. If your baby has a sibling diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, you are eligible for our early autism study! This research will help us develop a fast and easy screening tool for autism in a child’s first year.
Child Emotion Lab Learn More
Dr. Louis Schmidt, Director
Research Assistant
905-525-9140 x24798
Babies experience all the primary emotions of joy, anger and fear during the first months of life. Because the ability to regulate emotions plays an important role in development during infancy and early school years, Dr. Louis Schmidt’s Child Emotion Lab studies how babies regulate their emotions.
