What's in a Hug?

Toddlers between 1 year and 6 months to 2 years and 15 days of age

Your toddler will watch characters of different sizes interact (by hugging or dancing together), and then one of the characters will show an emotion like crying. We will measure where your toddler looks on screen in response.

In this study, we want to understand if toddlers can recognize caregiving relationships. Your toddler will see videos in which some characters hug each other or dance together. We will see if toddlers use the relationships between characters and their physical sizes to predict who will comfort another character. Previous studies suggest that toddlers can use cues of closeness to understand relationships. In the present study, we want to know if toddlers will think a character will comfort another character based on their size.

10-15 minutes

You will receive a $5 online gift card for your participation after you complete the study. We will compensate you with an Amazon US gift card or an alternative online gift card (e.g., Target, gift cards in other currencies if desired, etc.). To receive this payment, your toddler will need to be within our specified age range and your toddler will need to be visible throughout the video.