About the study at UCD

Study overview

In this study, we will be showing babies videos of people doing actions with their hands and feet. For example, they will be pressing buttons on a toy keyboard to make sounds. We will be recording EEG as the babies watch the videos, to see how their brains respond to the actions, and if there is any difference between the hand and foot actions. Afterwards, we will give the babies a chance to play with the keyboard, so we can compare what is happening in the brain that’s different between watching and doing.

We are working with different age groups to compare how this changes during infancy. We are also hoping to have some families come visit the lab two or three times. By comparing brain recordings from the same baby over time, we can see changes that happen not just with age, but with the baby’s own emerging motor skills (e.g. learning to walk). 

What to expect if you decide to come to our Babylab

If you fill in our form to say you’re interested in taking part in this study, we will contact you and schedule a time for you to come see us in UCD. It is possible to come on the weekends as well as on weekdays. We will send you directions on how to get here on public transport or by car. We are located in Áras Newman, but we can come greet you at an easy-to-reach location and we will provide you with a contact phone number in case you cannot find us.

There are baby changing and feeding facilities in Áras Newman. We will bring you to a family room in the School of Psychology and talk you through the study. We have lots of toys for your little one to play with. We will go over the study information with you, answer any questions you have and, if you’re happy, we will ask you to sign some paperwork saying you are willing to take part in the study. Remember, you can decide to stop taking part at any time. We will also give you a short questionnaire about various motor skills that your baby may or may not yet have started doing. 

In the family room, we will measure your baby’s head with a tape measure, so we can pick the EEG cap that will fit them best. We will soak the cap in water with a little bit of salt and a little bit of baby shampoo. The water will be lukewarm to warm, so the cap will be neither too cold nor too hot when we put it on your baby’s head. We’ll do this in the family room, so if your baby is a bit fussy when the cap goes on, we can help them get used to it before we go to the EEG room.

In the EEG room, we will ask you to take a seat with your baby in your lap. The EEG cap is attached to a cable which we will plug into the EEG system. We will check that we are getting a good reading, and adjust the cap or add a few drops of salt-water to it if not. When you and your baby are ready, we will start showing the action videos on the computer screen. There will be a small camera above the screen which will record your baby’s face, so we know if they are looking at the screen or not.

After 15 to 20 minutes, or when your baby is bored of the videos (whichever comes first), we will stop showing the videos. We will bring your baby the same toy that they saw in the videos, and encourage them to reach for it and touch it with their hands and their feet. It is OK if they don’t want to play with it - this happens! After they have had a chance to play with the toy, we’ll stop the recording and take the cap off your baby’s head. The study will be over, and you can get on with your day.

If you are interested but would like more details, you can read the study’s full information sheet here. You are also welcome to email Áine (aine.nichoisdealbha@ucd.ie) with any specific questions.