The following is a list of current studies that are ongoing in the lab. If you are interested in having your child participate, please fill out this form or contact ecclab@ryerson.ca.
White Lie-Telling Behaviour
Eligibility: Eastern European-Canadian children aged 3.5-6.5.
Execution: via Zoom (approx. 20 mins).
This study explores how a child’s cultural background, their parent’s parenting style, and their parent’s levels of collectivism affect whether or not they choose to tell a white lie in a regular situation or a situation with social consequences. During this study, your child will be asked their opinion on the experimenter’s appearance and artwork and then will respond to a brief questionnaire.
Attitudes
Eligibility: Children aged 6-11.
Execution: Via Zoom (approx. 15 – 20 mins).
This study investigates how children perceive people who gossip. You and your child can participate in one (or both!) of the following studies: Study 1: investigates whether children’s attitudes towards gossipers are influenced by positive, negative, or neutral gossip and depending on the relationship the child has with the gossiper; Study 2: investigate children’s social perception of the gossiper when the gossip content is prosocial or self-serving. In both studies, your child will be read a virtual storybook and will be asked a few questions.
Expertise
Eligibility: Children aged 4-5.
Execution: Via Zoom (approx. 30 mins).
This study explores whether children prefer to learn new information from some people over others based on factors such as one’s expertise and whether a person shares similarities with the child. Your child will be presented with images/audio clips of two people side by side and decide from whom they prefer to learn new information and whom they would prefer to learn from in the future.
Negativity Bias
Eligibility: Children aged 3 – 10
Execution: Via Zoom (approx. 15 mins).
This study investigates whether children are more trusting in negatively framed information than positively framed information. Task 1: Participate in a 30-minute Zoom call, during which your child will be presented with various statements and be asked to indicate whether they believe each statement to be true or false. Task 2: Participate in a 30-minute Zoom call, during which your child will witness an on-screen event. They will later be asked to recall three details about the event, after receiving information in the video that contradicts their own observations.