We are cognitive neuroscientists at MIT who love to learn about kids' brains, and help kids learn about theirs!
06/26/2021
Our page was down for a few days but it is back! Sign up for online studies here!
Participate Online | MIT Kids Brains Participate Online Do science with us from your home! Sign up here Some Frequently Asked Questions: Who? Infants and children ages 3 months to 3years. When? Anytime! Flexible scheduling is available, including evenings and weekends. Where? Online studies are conducted remotely, via Zoom. Will I be c...
02/20/2020
Rebecca Saxe, PhD, director of the Saxe Lab and MIT KidsBrains, will be talking about her neuroscience research at the Boston Museum of Science during their “Health Fair: Exercise Your Brain” event on March 21st! This event will be open to the public and free with Exhibit Hall admission. Please visit https://mos.org/public-events/health-fair-exercise-your-brain for more details. We hope to see you there!
Health Fair: Exercise Your Brain | Museum of Science, Boston Learn how our bodies develop, meet leading researchers and experts, and participate in engaging hands-on activities!
Is your child great at sharing? Turns out, good sharers may have more advanced Theory of Mind (ToM) skills, according to researchers at the University of Southern Mississippi. Sharing requires the knowledge that someone else may want what you have, and Theory of Mind is the source of this knowledge. Children ages 3.5, 4.5, and 5.5 were given a behavioral test to assess their ToM ability, and then they engaged in a prosocial choice test. This was simply a behavioral task to see whether children would share stickers with different types of recipients (friend, non-friend, stranger, or no one). The results showed that older children shared more than younger children, and that children with more advanced Theory of Mind skills did, in fact, share better than children with lower than average scores on the ToM test. --Livie, Summer Student, Saxelab
Advanced neuroimaging technology can safely and more easily unlock the secrets of infant brain development! Researchers from the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development in London have used the combination of fNIRS (Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy) and the measurement of various infant behaviors to figure out whether the part of the adult brain that is partially responsible for social interaction is already specialized in 12- to 14-month-olds. This region has been previously discovered by Dr. Saxe and the Saxe lab to be a major role in Theory of Mind; the theory that all humans have their own thoughts, values and beliefs that differ from person to person. This study concluded not only that young infants already have a component of Theory of Mind, but also that their brains have partially specialized social regions similar to that of adults. This is quite surprising given how young these infants are, but it shows how important this component of the mind must be if it is in place so early in development. --Livie, Summer Student, Saxelab
Cool new findings in developmental psychology: The famous marshmallow test shows huge cultural variability. Children in Germany and in rural Cameroon were given Walter Mischel’s famous marshmallow test: “This sweet treat is for you. You can eat it now, but if you wait until I come back, you will get a second one. You are the one to decide: Eat now and get only one, or wait and get two.” A third of German 4-year-olds waited for 10 minutes to get the second treat; two thirds gave in to temptation and ate the first treat. That’s pretty typical for four year olds. The big news of the study is the Nso Cameroonian 4-year olds: more than two thirds waited for 10 minutes. Why were children in Cameroon so much better at waiting? One idea is that Nso culture does a better job at teaching children how to regulate their emotions, and remain calm even during the unpleasant waiting.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cdev.12847/full
Waiting for the Second Treat: Developing Culture‐Specific Modes of Self‐Regulation The development of self‐regulation has been studied primarily in Western middle‐class contexts and has, therefore, neglected what is known about culturally varying self‐concepts and socialization strategies....
03/20/2017
We are so excited to be participating in the Drool Baby Expo THIS WEEK on 3/23! Get your tickets at http://droolbabyexpo.com
03/15/2017
We’re so excited to join at The Ultimate Moms’ Night Out tomorrow (March 16th) in Somerville! There are still a few tickets left at http://bit.ly/UMNOMBS
We hope to see you there!
Ultimate Moms’ Night Out A Party to Honor all Moms! Live comedy, mini spa, drinks, food, mingling with moms and brands!
We are SO excited for the Mommybites Valentine's Party today! We hope to see you there!
02/07/2017
Thank you to all of the families who came out to spend the day learning about neuroscience! We had a blast!