Can you remember what she did?

5 year old, English-speaking children.

In the first part of the study, your child will watch three short, animated videos about what a character does during their day, and then answer questions about the activities in the videos after watching them. You (the adult) will be reading the questions to the child, and selecting their answer choices for them. In the second part of the study, your child will decide how different icons representing different times (e.g., breakfast, lunch, and dinner) should be arranged on a virtual card. You (the adult) will be reading the prompts to your child, and moving the icons on the screen to place them where your child wants.

We are interested in learning more about how memory develops in early childhood. Even in adulthood, it is more difficult to remember 'when' things happened compared to remembering 'where' things happened. Remembering 'when' things happened is particularly difficult in early childhood, and one reason for this may be that children have fewer strategies to help their memory, such as using calendars. In this study, we explore whether using specific visual arrangements (e.g., ordering events from left-to-right) can help improve memory for 'when' things happened in early childhood. This question could inform ways in which educational tools could best support children's memory development.

30 minutes

You will receive a $5 Tango gift card for completing this study. To receive compensation, the participating child must be in the age range for this study and must be visible in the consent video. One gift card per child will be awarded. You will be emailed your gift card within a week of participating in the study.