Child Development Labs at the University of Virginia

Child Development Labs at the University of Virginia

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We are a group of developmental psychology researchers at UVA who study how children think and learn!

At the University of Virginia Child Development Laboratories we study how children from birth to 12 years of age come to understand the world around them. At our labs, researchers are dedicated to studying a wide array of child behavior, including children’s judgement of morality, social perceptions, prosocial behaviors, impact of media on children’s behavior and successful forms of communication

04/22/2026

Come visit us at this weekend's KidVention hosted by the Virginia Discovery Museum. Learn about what our labs do and how to get involved in science!

Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management 02/18/2026

🌟 Wrapping Up — Now Prioritizing 6- and 8-Year-Olds

The Early Social Development Lab at the University of Virginia is wrapping up our current round of online studies and is now prioritizing 6- and 8-year-olds.

Children join a 30-minute Zoom session and play short, interactive games about fairness and praise.

Families receive a $10 e-gift card as a thank-you.

Spots are limited, and enrollment will close once we have filled the remaining openings.

👉 Start with a short eligibility screener:

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Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management 01/13/2026

📣 Calling families with children ages 5–9!
Looking for something fun & meaningful for your 5–9-year-old? We’re running a paid online Zoom study led by the Early Social Development Lab at the University of Virginia! 🧠💬 Kids will play short, interactive games that help us understand how they think about fairness and inequality.

🕒 About 20–30 minutes on Zoom
🎁 $5 e-gift card as a thank-you
📍 U.S.-based families, ages 5–9

Participation is completely voluntary. Parents will review a consent form, and children will be asked for their assent before joining.

Interested families start by completing a brief screener to sign up: https://virginia.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9sgY22Hu276MG1w
📩 Questions? Email: [email protected]

(IRB SBS #6269)

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Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management 07/08/2025

🎉 New Study Alert!
Looking for something fun & meaningful for your 5–9-year-old?
We’re running a paid online study through Zoom, led by the Early Social Development Lab at UVA! 🧠💬 Kids will play short, interactive games that help us understand how they think about fairness and inequality.

🕒 About 30 mins on Zoom
🎁 $5 e-gift card as a thank-you!
📍 U.S.-based, ages 5–9
✨ Spots are limited—first come, first served!
👉 Sign up here: https://virginia.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9sgY22Hu276MG1w
📩 Questions? Email: [email protected]
(IRB SBS #6269)

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Online Survey Software | Qualtrics Survey Solutions 05/27/2025

Are you a parent of a child between the ages of 6 and 12 years old? We are conducting an online research study about how children think about different kinds of people, and we would love your child’s help!
This study is part of an undergraduate Research Methods course at the University of Virginia. Your child’s participation will involve a short, interactive activity, which will take up to 30 minutes and can be completed at home over Zoom.
To participate, your child must:
✅ Be between 6 and 12 years old
✅ Speak English fluently
✅ Live in the United States
✅ Have access to a computer or tablet with internet
Parents will provide consent before the session begins, and children will be asked if they would like to participate. All responses will be kept confidential and used only for educational and research purposes.
If you’re interested in signing up, you can fill out a quick screener and access our booking calendar here: https://virginia.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3Cdzsdf8bSh4HMW. Please note that because this research study is part of a summer class project, all study sessions will be on June 3rd, June 4th, or June 5th, 2025. For questions, please contact Dr. Zoe Robertson at [email protected].
Thank you for supporting undergraduate research and helping us learn more about how children grow and learn!

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Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management 05/07/2025

Looking for something fun and meaningful for your child to do?
We’re currently recruiting for a paid online study for kids ages 5–9 in the U.S., run by the Early Social Development Lab at UVA! The study happens over Zoom and includes simple, engaging activities to help us learn how children think about fairness and inequality.
The session takes about 30 minutes, and your child will receive a $5 gift card as a thank-you!
Spots are limited—sign up today: https://virginia.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9sgY22Hu276MG1w
Questions? Email us at: [email protected]
(IRB SBS #6269)

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virginia.az1.qualtrics.com 12/30/2024

Can cartoons change what children think about other people? We invite children between 6 and 8 years to participate in a paid 30-minute research study, which can be conducted over Zoom or in person at the University of Virginia. In the study, we'll show your child a clip from a TV cartoon and ask them a series of questions afterwards--for example, their willingness to be friends with one of the cartoon characters. Scan the QR code below or click here to learn more and sign up:

virginia.az1.qualtrics.com

Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management 02/03/2024

How do children see their social world? We are still looking for children between the ages of 5 and 9 years in the U.S. to participate in our PAID online studies! Your child (children) will play small fun games, such as a distribution game or sharing their thoughts about some story characters. You will also be invited to complete a questionnaire that includes questions similar to the ones your child (children) will be asked. The total session will take up to 45 minutes. Your child will receive a $5 gift card for their participation and you will receive a $5 gift card for your participation. Please click here to sign up:
https://virginia.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9SUqG4rtoqggPfE?fbclid=IwAR36sd0pEQkchW1XPNElqCzZn2uslrv3XxZbgtplUz3vS62rDPqa3eIcdOE

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Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management 01/08/2024

How do children see their social world? How do they perceive unfairness, praise, and forgiveness? We are looking for children between the ages of 5 and 9 years in the U.S. to participate in our PAID online studies! Your child (children) will play small fun games, such as a distribution game or sharing their thoughts about some story characters. You will also be invited to complete a questionnaire that includes questions similar to the ones your child (children) will be asked. The total session will take up to 45 minutes. Your child will receive a $5 gift card for their participation and you will receive a $5 gift card for your participation. Please click here to sign up:

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Brain-Behavior Connection Study - Babylab at UVA 11/27/2023

Calling all Charlottesville families with children ages 4-6! The Babylab at UVA is looking for kiddos to participate in a fun paid in-person study that asks how young children's brain activity is linked to differences in their behavior. To learn more about this study or sign up to participate, go to https://calendly.com/uvababylab/bbc or email our team at [email protected].

Brain-Behavior Connection Study - Babylab at UVA About this study: The purpose of this study is to explore how young children's brain activity relates to changes in their behavior as they develop. This study is for children ages 4 to 6 years and should take about 1.5 hours of your time. The study will be in person at Gilmer Hall in our new Babylab

09/11/2023

How does your baby make sense of the social world around us?
We are currently looking for families with babies who are 5-10.5 months old to participate in a research study ending in October!
We want to know if and when babies can differentiate between individuals who help others and individuals who do not help others. To find out, babies will wear a safe, non-invasive fNIRS (functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy) cap while sitting on their parent's lap to watch a video of characters interacting. fNIRS uses light to detect brain activity and is widely used in research and hospital settings to understand how the brain responds when we interact with the world.
The visit will take about 1 hour at the University of Virginia's new Baby Lab space. We will provide parking for each family and a small prize for each baby and parent.
If you are interested, read more about the baby lab at https://uvababylab.org, or schedule a visit at https://calendly.com/uvababylab/baby-lab

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Location

Address


485 McCormick Road
Charlottesville, VA
22903

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm