What Happened to the Cube?

14- to 16-month-old & full-term (37-43 weeks) infants

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. We will reach out to you promptly once you have selected a time. We require a computer (laptop or desktop) to complete this study. During the session, your child will sit on your lap and watch a series of short videos on your computer screen. These videos show physical events involving two actions – pushing and smashing – which change an object’s location and state, respectively. At test, the two actions are applied in different orders. Because the outcome depends on the order of events, children need to understand that changing the sequence can lead to different results (e.g., pushing a cube before smashing it versus smashing it before pushing it).

In this study, we are interested in testing babies’ ability to reason about sequences of physical events. Specifically, we ask whether babies can compose simple physical functions (e.g., pushing or smashing an object) by applying one action to an object and then applying a second action to the result of that first transformation. In other words, the actions occur sequentially. This requires not only representing both actions, but also understanding that the order in which they occur can change the intermediate situation and, as a result, the final outcome. Evidence of success would indicate an early-emerging ability to engage in complex, multi-step reasoning.

10 minutes

You will receive a $5 Amazon gift card (Amazon.com), as well as a completion certificate, sent to you via email within 3 working days of participating in the study. To receive compensation, you must join the video call and have your child be visible on the screen. Only one gift card per participant.