Frequently Asked Questions From Parents

Where is your lab located?

Our lab is located on the Stanford Campus in the main Quadrangle. Please see our Contact page for directions and information about parking.

When are you at the San Jose Children’s Discovery Museum?

Our lab usually is at CDM Thursdays and Saturdays, generally from 10am-5pm depending on researcher availability. We’re located in the research room, which located directly behind the Ambulance Truck. Feel free to stop by and say hi, or find any of our researchers with a Stanford nametag!

What ages are you looking for?

The Language and Cognition Lab runs a variety of studies for children ages 0-8 years. We love to hear from parents who are interested in participating, and we can contact you when we have a new study that is perfect for your child.

Will I be paid to participate?

Compensation is dependent on the specific study that we are running. While we are sometimes able to pay participants, we will often offer a small toy or a sticker as thank you for for participating through our lab or at the Children’s Discovery Museum.

What happens when I arrive?

When you arrive, a researcher will greet you in our waiting room. The researcher will explain the study in detail and answer any questions you may have.
The researcher will then ask you to read and sign a consent form, and give you a copy to take with you.

Will I be with my child during the study?

Yes, you will be with your child the whole time.

How long do sessions usually last?

For our in-lab studies, we schedule one hour appointments, which allow plenty of time for your child to become comfortable with the lab before beginning the study. At the Children’s Discovery Museum, our study lasts about 10 minutes.

What if my child doesn’t like the study?

Most infants and children enjoy participating - we design our studies to be fun and game-like. However, you and your child are free to end the session at any time and for any reason.

Will you tell me how my child has done?

We are not looking at the individual performance of children in our studies and our tests are not used to diagnose or treat any type of developmental delays. Rather, we are interested in overall trends of a particular group. Therefore we will not able to tell you how your child fared individually, but once the study is completed we can tell you what children of your child’s age tend to do. We will update our website with recent findings and can alert you when we post findings for a study you and your child have participated in.