What is this action?

5-10 years old

This study will take place on a video call, live with a researcher! Clicking on the “Schedule a time to participate” button will send you to an online calendar where you can select a date and time that works for you. The study will take about 15 minutes to complete.

You will complete a demographic questionnaire, where you will provide some basic information (such as background information and your email address for the reward).

During the session, your child will complete one short activity where they will be shown videos of everyday actions and asked simple questions about what they see. For example, sometimes a girl will rub a boy on the shoulder. We will ask questions (e.g., “Is the girl rubbing the boy?” “Why do you think that [is/is not] rubbing?”).

Children often discuss different types of interactions with body contact (e.g., patting a friend’s arm). Previous research has shown children’s definitions of these actions change as they get older, but little is known about children’s understanding of contact verbs. In this study, we are interested in how children define common actions (e.g., patting, kicking, rubbing).

30 minutes (15 minute demographic questionnaire for parents to complete before the Zoom session, 15 minute Zoom session with your child)

Families will receive a $5 Amazon.com gift card for each participating child. The gift card will be emailed within one week after the session. Only one gift card is permitted per participant. To be eligible for compensation, participants must be in the study age range (5-10-year-old) and the child must be visible in the Zoom video.

You will be compensated even if your child is unable to complete the whole study. However, we cannot compensate unless you attend the Zoom call with an age-appropriate child, and we cannot compensate for the participation of a single child more than once.