We're looking for volunteers to take part in a study about how children learn to describe what's happening around them. If you have an English speaking child aged 3 to 11, we'd love to hear from you.
This study explores how children learn to talk about events — things like actions, motion, and cause and effect. We're interested in how this develops across childhood, and how it compares across different languages.
There are no right or wrong answers. We're not testing your child — we're learning from them.
Your child will watch a short stop-motion animation video clicking a button from time to time and then chat with a researcher about what they saw. That's it.
Sessions take around 35 minutes for younger children. If your child is older, they may watch a few additional short videos, and the session runs around 60 minutes.
Everything takes place in a comfortable, relaxed setting. You're welcome to stay in the room throughout — many carers find it interesting to watch.
You can also participate as well if you'd like.
We're currently recruiting:
One participant per session. All researchers have current Working With Children Checks.
Sessions are held at:
Babel Building, Room 414, Level 4 The University of Melbourne
The building has ramp access at the entrance and internal lifts. There's a comfortable lounge area if you need to wait or settle in before your session. Please note it is a working research building — young children will need to stay close, particularly near stairwells.
Plain Language Statement for Caregivers.pdf
Consent Form for Carers of Child Participants.pdf
More Questions?
Feel free to email the research team at the address above. We're happy to answer anything before you commit to participating.