For Students
Working in the Infant Cognition Lab
The role of undergraduates in our research
Undergraduates have a very important role in our research. Teams of undergraduate students, graduate students, staff, and Dr. Oakes conduct the work. Undergraduate research assistants participate in all aspects of our research--they help recruit infant participants, provide information for parents who are interested in participating, actually set up and run the experiments, and code infant behavior. In short, we rely on undergraduate research assistants to actually test babies in experiments. Also, you earn course credit (PSC 199) for working in the lab!
The duties of undergraduate research assistants
One of the main duties of an undergraduate research assistant is to actually test babies in experiments. Often this means setting up a computer, explaining a study to a parent, obtaining informed consent, and making the baby and parent feel comfortable in the setting. For other studies, the undergraduate student actually plays with the baby by presenting toys to him or her in a specified way. Undergraduate students also code infants' behavior (e.g., how long the baby looks, which toys he or she touches) from videotapes. Other duties include entering data into a database, phoning parents, and other miscellaneous tasks.
What an undergraduate can learn from this experience
Our undergraduate research assistants get "hands on" research experience, and see developmental research in action. Working in the lab provides students with a chance to learn about how studies are designed, planned, and run. In addition, by observing and participating in discussions with faculty and graduate students, undergraduate students learn how we analyze and interpret results, and how findings lead to new hypotheses. Students may also be able to conduct their own independent project, once they have gained sufficient experience in the lab.
Working in this context is excellent preparation for any student planning on graduate work in Psychology and other fields. Students gain valuable experience working as part of a team, as well as insight into the process of research and the life of a graduate student.
Requirements
Students are required to make a two-quarter commitment (though often students enroll for more than two quarters). The lab is open year-round, so students can be involved in the summer. Each quarter a student is involved in the lab, he or she should enroll in PSC 199 for 3 credits. This translates to 9 hours each week in the lab (between 9-5 Monday through Friday) plus a mandatory lab meeting. During this lab meeting we discuss on-going projects, assign new projects, discuss research articles, and have presentations of results from graduate students or Dr. Oakes. We also test infants on Saturdays, so students are required to commit to testing infants on 2 Saturdays (from 10 to 2) each quarter they are enrolled.Coursework in cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, or human development is preferred. Students should have good interpersonal skills and be comfortable around children (experience with young children is a plus).
Interested?
Please contact Lisa Christoffer (lmchristoffer@ucdavis.edu) or Emily Spring (emspring@ucdavis.edu) if you are interested in working in the lab.
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