For Parents
The Kids in Context research group has many ongoing studies looking for participants. Many of our studies are online, like through zoom, surveys, online games, making them accessible to families and young people from home! You might also find us vising your child’s school as we often work with teachers and principals to play games with the children in their classrooms.
By signing up, you and your child will be making a substantial contribution to our understanding of cognitive and social development. Our studies are designed to be fun and engaging games for children. We also hope that your child will enjoy the novelty of online interaction with pictures and tasks, playing games with our researchers. Parents can also sit back and enjoy a cuppa while we entertain your child!
How do I participate? All you need is a computer or tablet with a webcam! Use the links below to sign up. You will be directed to a page to enter information to check your eligibility for each study. From there, you will be redirected to a calendly page where you can sign up for a time of your choice to meet one of the Kids in Context researchers online. The researcher will guide you and your child through some fun tasks and games! Afterwards your family will receive a small voucher and certificate as a thank you for your time and participation.
Here are some of the studies that are currently open for participants online, currently we’re not recruiting any child participnts. Click on the title to sign up!
Be part of research being carried out at 24 locations across the world! We want to know when children develop natural and supernatural beliefs, like about germs and Santa Claus! Children will play games, listen to stories and answer questions, and parents will answer some similar questions.
Thanks for participating, we’ll be in touch when its time for Waves 2 and 3 of this longitudinal study!
Can you let me know which studies to do? To pair you and your family to the right studies, just fill in the general registration form below! Once you’ve share some basic information with us, we’ll determine which studies you’re eligible for and send you an information email with a link to sign up! By signing up to the general registration we can also contact you about any future studies for you and your family. Click here to join our Kids in Context Contact List and we’ll be in touch!
To read more about recent projects in the lab, click here to see our latest newsletter!
I have more questions! See our FAQs below.
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What equipment do I need?
A computer or tablet with internet connection and a camera/microphone.
- What ages can participate?
We currently have studies for children and young people ages 4 to 18. We sometimes have surveys for adults too! By joining the Kids in Context contact list, we will email you when studies become available for your child(ren)’s age.
- Does it matter where I live?
No! Any young person in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland within our current age range that speaks English can participate.
- What happens during the study?
A researcher will meet your family on a video call at your scheduled time. We typically use Zoom, a free online platform for video calling, for our studies. At the start of the call, we’d like the parent and children to be on the video call together to meet the researcher, hear about the study and have a change to ask questions. Then, your child will start the study. Fully trained, Access NI checked researchers deliver all studies.
- Can the parent stay with their child during the study?
Kids tend to be more open and honest if their parents aren’t watching them. However, if parents prefer to stick around and listen to the study, they are welcome to do so. We just ask that they not suggest answers or instruct the child while participating.
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Do parents participate?
Depending on the study your child does, we may ask you to complete similar questions or fill our additional questionnaires that relate to the topics being studied with your child. By having adult responses for our studies, we are better able to understand children’s responses and how their development relates to the adults in their life.
- Is there compensation?
As a thank-you, your child will receive a certificate of participation and your family will receive an Amazon gift card sent to the email address you provide.
- How do I sign up?
Please browse our Current Studies and sign up for as many as you are interested in, or sign up to our Kids in Context Contact List, and we will contact you with any studies (current or future) your child can do!
- What happens after the study?
We will analyse anonymized results and publish findings in scientific journals. We will also share our findings with children, families and schools in newsletters or presentations!