Names and Close Relationships

For 6- to 10-year-olds

This study will take place on a video call, live with a researcher! Clicking on the “Participate Now!” button will send you to an online calendar where you can select a date and time that works for you. In this Zoom-based study, your child will hear stories about a protagonist named Isabella Smith. Some characters will call her "Isabella", but others will use nicknames like "Izzy" or titles like "Ms. Smith" and "Aunt Isabella". We will ask your child questions about the characters' relationships with Isabella.

In this study, we want to understand how children think about different types of names (such as nicknames, formal names, and kinship names). We know that children think people in close relationships share more with and know more about each other. However, we don't know how children think about names in close social relationships. We think children will believe that calling someone by a nickname (like "Izzy") or kinship name (like "Aunt Isabella") means they are socially closer.

20 minutes

Children will receive a $5 online gift card and (if requested) a certificate of participation, within 24 hours of participating over Zoom. To receive the gift card and certificate, the child must be within the age range for our study. Each child will only receive one gift card. We can compensate participants with an Amazon US gift card, or with an alternative online gift card. We'll ask you about what gift cards work for your family, and we'll work with our lab manager to get you a suitable gift card.