There was a misunderstanding! What will happen Next?

For 20- to 28-month-olds that hear more than 50% English at home

In this study, your child will watch short video clips showing two people having a conversation. Sometimes a person will ask for an object, and someone will respond with "Yeah!". Sometimes, one person misunderstands what the other said and says, “What?” and looks confused. Your child will be asked what they think will happen next (for example, which object will someone pick based on the person's responses to the request).

After your child finishes watching the videos, you’ll be asked to complete a few short surveys about your child’s language development and home environment. These help us understand how communication skills grow across children of different ages.

In this study, we are exploring how toddlers understand when communication goes smoothly and when it breaks down. Previous research shows that even very young children can notice when someone misunderstands a message. In this study, we’re testing whether toddlers can also predict how people will respond in these moments: for example, whether or not someone will fulfill a request after they indicate confusion by saying “What?”. By seeing how toddlers understand the communicative meaning of the word "what?" and can use it to manage their expectations, we can better understand how they develop early communication and social reasoning skills.

15 minutes for the video portion and about 30 minutes for the surveys

To receive payment, you will need to consent, the child needs to be visible during consent, and the child needs to be within the age range of the study. This study can only be done once per participating caregiver. The payment will be sent within 1 week of joining the study. The payment will be a $5 Amazon.com gift card.