The first years after birth are critically important for the development of the baby's brain and mind. https://linktr.ee/infantcognitionlab Come back frequently!
We are a lab at UC Davis devoted to understanding cognitive development in infancy. Welcome to the Infant Cognition Lab’s own Facebook community! We look forward to exchanging thoughts and ideas with you. In addition to updating you about what we’re doing in the lab, we will use this page as a resource for moms, dads, and parents-to-be with fun and helpful information on many things kid-, pregnanc
05/26/2026
Check out this educational blog about babies’ laughter! New research shows that infants start laughing at around three months old. Find out more about why by reading this blog: https://www.mentalfloss.com/.../psych.../why-do-babies-laugh
PASS THE PHONE: ICL Edition!!
Our research assistants participated in this trend, check it out! 📲
Description: Research assistants at the infant cognition lab, taking turns describing one another in participation of the "pass the phone" trend.
05/06/2026
This week we are highlighting an educational blog by Vanessa Lobue! Children begin their learning by “eavesdropping” as early as infancy!👂 Check out the full blog here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-baby-scientist/202601/listen-to-your-mother-what-children-learn-by-eavesdropping
04/30/2026
Babies are more aware than we think. 🐣
Even in the first months of life, infants pick up on emotional cues like tone of voice, facial expressions, and caregiver responses.
By 3–6 months, stress in their environment can begin to shape development.
Supporting caregivers = supporting babies 🤍
🔗 Resource in slides
04/28/2026
Pets of the Lab! 🐾🐶🐱
Slide 1: Caramel & Izzy, Abita, Tamale, Yoshi, Ruthie, Venus & Pebble, and Elliot 🐕🐈🦎
Slide 2: Jewel, Pepsi, Toby, Timbit, Mazy, Teddy & Spence, and Maximus 💕
Behind these cuties is an amazing team: Crystal, Crosby, Jonathan, Colton, Ruoda, Jessica, John, Monica, Katlyn, Christine, and Vinusha are research assistants, Brianna is a post doc, Van is a graduate student, and Lisa is our lab's Principal Investigator. So grateful for this crew!
Drop some love for these pets 🐾❤️
04/21/2026
For this week’s Community Tuesday, we’re highlighting Fairytale Town 🏰✨
From riding in Cinderella's carriage to sliding down Jack's Beanstalk, there’s something magical for every kid 🌈
Swipe to check it out! 🧚♀️
04/17/2026
Our wonderful URC groups practiced presenting their posters at our lab meeting today! Come check them out at the 4pm poster session next Friday, April 24 at the University Credit Union Center.
03/17/2026
Have you ever wondered how babies actually learn what words mean?
UConn’s HELLO Lab Presents explains that babies aren’t just listening, they’re actively learning through everyday interactions with the people around them. From watching where you look, to hearing words repeated in meaningful moments, infants begin connecting sounds to objects and actions over time.
Simple things like pointing, naming objects, and shared attention (when you and your baby focus on the same thing) play a huge role in building vocabulary. It’s not just exposure to words, it’s the interaction that makes the difference.
Language learning starts way before first words, and those small, everyday moments matter more than you might think.
Check out the link to watch the full video!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJCP69FkNWM
03/17/2026
Have you ever wondered when your baby might say their first words?
UConn's HELLO Lab Presents series covers some key timepoints of infants' language development.
Newborns begin with vegetative sounds such as crying and reflexive noises that express their needs. At 1 to 3 months, infants will start to make cooing/gooing sounds and will learn turn-taking between their 2nd and 4th months. Around 4 to 6 months infants will repeat sounds like "ba-ba" and by 7 to 8 months old they will combine those sounds into variegated babbling (e.g., "ba-da-ga")
While each child is unique and will begin speaking on their own timeline, infants typically begin to speak real words by their first birthday.
Check out this link to watch the full video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Uv8kLz_Xq4
03/13/2026
Have you ever heard someone say that learning two languages at once will confuse a child?
Research from the HELLO Lab at the University of Connecticut suggests that this common myth isn’t supported by science. In fact, children are capable of learning multiple languages from an early age, and growing up bilingual does not confuse them.
Babies and young children can differentiate between languages and build separate language systems as they develop. Exposure to more than one language can even support cognitive flexibility and communication skills as they grow.
So if you're raising a bilingual child you're not confusing them, you're giving them an incredible opportunity to learn!
Check out the linktree in our bio and click on the link titled “HELLOLab Presents” to watch the full video or use this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aq-Pmhou_KU