Learning, Attention, and Decision Making Throughout Development
Celeste Kidd, Professor
Psychology
Applications for Spring 2024 are closed for this project.
The Kidd Lab studies learning and belief formation using a combination of computational and behavioral methods. In our behavioral experiments, we measure how humans look, explore, play, and learn starting in infancy and continuing throughout childhood. We use eye-trackers to measure visual fixations, touchscreens to study exploration in kid-friendly apps, and other methods to study a range of developmental topics. Our current projects include:
1) Social learning and theory of mind in children: This study investigates how children infer others’ hidden knowledge based on how they respond to new information.
2) Role of certainty in learning: In this study, we investigate how children become certain while learning a new concept.
3) Cognitive algorithms task: Study investigates how children develop the ability to discover and use cognitive algorithms in a sorting task.
4) ChatGPT exploration: Children are increasingly using large language models (LLM) like ChatGPT, but we don’t know how they use or conceptualize them. This study records and analyzes children’s queries to ChatGPT to better understand how they use LLMs.
5) Visual attention: This study uses eye tracking to investigate the relationship between visual attention and learning during a screen-based task.
Please also fill out this additional form if you are applying: http://tinyurl.com/rakiddcolala
Role: Research Assistants will be assigned to one or more studies based on student interest and the lab’s current needs. Responsibilities will include running behavioral experiments with children ages 2-8 in the lab and at other testing sites. Additionally, duties may include participant recruitment, collecting, organizing, and coding data, and assisting with administrative tasks. RAs may meet regularly with the project team to discuss relevant theoretical and empirical papers in addition to maintaining open communication on study progress. RAs will be involved in multiple aspects of the research project, which will allow them to gain insight into the research process.
Qualifications: We expect that RAs are organized, dependable, communicative, and work diligently. RAs must have decent computer literacy and be willing to learn about the various software applications and online platforms used by the lab. No previous research experience is required, but experience working with children and parents is preferred. RAs must be willing to travel (car not required) to museums and other testing sites that are off-campus. Preference may be given to applicants who have availability on Saturday and/or Sunday to collect data on some weekends. We ask that RAs commit to two semesters working in the lab.
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Justine Krieger, Staff Researcher
Hours: 9-11 hrs
Off-Campus Research Site: 2121 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA
Related website: http://kiddlab.com
Education, Cognition & Psychology