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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.
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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

Upcoming Studies

Music and Rhythm Development Study

The Auditory Development Lab is looking for 2month-olds to participate in our on-campus music and rhythm development study.
We are interested in looking at how babies perceive rhythm and make sense of patterns in sound and music, which is important in music and language development. Additionally, we will also look at babies’ microorganisms (bacteria) in their gut as a part of normal development. Then, we will look to see if there are any connections between how infants’ development and their gut bacteria.
Our exciting new study will involve multiple sessions:
  • 2 months old: collection of stool sample at home
  • 4 months old (optional): a short visit to McMaster University Auditory Development Lab where babies will watch videos of adults singing and speaking while we record their eye-movement
  • 6 months old: a visit to McMaster University Auditory Development Lab where we will measure your baby’s brain waves using safe and non-invasive technology as they listen to sounds through speakers while they sit on your lap
  • 12 months old (optional): a short follow up visit to McMaster University Auditory Development Lab to repeat the testing done at 4 months
  • 18-24 months old: a visit to McMaster University Auditory Development Lab for a routine developmental assessment
Your participation will help us study early development with the help of music, videos, and amazing technology!
If you and your baby are interested in participating or have any questions, please contact Maya Psaris (psarism@mcmaster.ca).
Not ready for this study? Contact us anyways! We would love to add your baby to our database and let you know when your baby reaches an age we are looking for!

Visual Preference Studies for 2-14 month-olds See study poster

The Baby Lab (vision studies) at McMaster University is looking for local 2 to 14 month-old babies to participate in a variety of in-person studies!

We are investigating the role of emotional vocal sounds and music/different faces and languages/visual preferences and face processing.

If you’re interested in participating in one of our studies, or have any questions, please contact babylab@mcmaster.ca

See the attached posters for more details.

Emotional Preference & Social Behaviours Study (24-37 month-olds) See Study Poster

The Baby Lab at McMaster University is looking for toddlers between 24–37 months and their parents to participate in a fun, in-person study!
We are investigating how toddlers use a range of emotional signals from real-life people to guide their emotional preferences and real-life social behaviours. We are also interested in understanding how parenting and toddlers’ personalities influence their emotional preferences and social behaviours!
Your toddler will participate in a series of interactive play-based activities with two new, friendly actresses expressing different emotions. You and your toddler will also work together to build block structures or to sort different-coloured shapes.
If you’re interested in participating in our study, or have any questions, please contact babylab@mcmaster.ca

Parent-Child Interactions (8-10 month-olds)

The Auditory Development Lab is conducting a sound perception study for 8- to 10-month-old infants investigating early social interactions and how they’re involved in development.
One of the ways we study this is by measuring eye movements. To do this, your and your child’s eye movements will be recorded with eye-tracking cameras while you interact with each other. You will be asked to sing to, talk to, and/or quietly interact with your child. During the study, your child will sit in a booster seat secured to a chair. You will sit across from your child, facing them, for the duration of the study.
This study would involve one visit to McMaster, lasting between 45-60 minutes.
If you are interested in participating in one of our Music Studies or would like more information, please contact me at ripleys@mcmaster.ca.

Rhythm Perception Study for 6-15 month-olds See study poster

The Baby Lab (vision studies) at McMaster University is looking for local 6 to 15 month-old babies to participate in a variety of in-person studies!

We’re investigating how musical beats are represented in 6-15 month-old infants’ brains. To do this, we will use a neuroimaging tool called fIRS to get a peek at the activity in your child’s brain.

If you’re interested in participating in one of our studies, or have any questions, please contact babylab@mcmaster.ca

See the attached posters for more details.

Online Visual Preference Study for 6-14 month-olds See study poster

The Baby Lab (vision studies) at McMaster University is looking for 6 to 14 month-old babies to participate online for a study!

Sign up to participate in a fun online study in the McMaster Baby Lab!

We are investigating whether 6 to 14-month-old infants can learn to perceive human faces of different races categorically. Your child will watch as faces of different races appear on a computer screen.

If you’re interested in participating in our study, or have any questions, please contact babylab@mcmaster.ca

See the attached poster for more details.

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

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.