cdsc museum manual

8/17/2019 CDSC Museum Manual

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Researcher Behavior and Interactions:Children ’ s Museum of Manhattan

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Golden Rules of Parent Interaction ………………………………………………… ..……… .2

CMOM Rules and Regulations ……………………………………………………………… ..4

Setting Up and Cleaning Up at CMOM ……………………………………………………… .5

Recruiting Subjects …………………………………………………………… ..…………… .6

Consent Forms ………………………………………………………… ..…………… ..…… ..8

Study Preparation . ………………………………………………… ..……………… ..…… .. 10

Running a Study. ………………………………………………… .………………………… .11

Debriefing Parent …………………………………………………………………………… 12

Atypical Situations, and What to Do When Things Go Wrong ……………… ..…………… 13

Q&A ………………………………… .… .……………………………… .………………… .18

Staff and Volunteer Interactions………………………………………………… ..………… 22

Museum Checklist ………………………………………………………………………… . 24


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GOLDEN RULES OF PARENT INTERACTION

As the “ public face of science research ” in the museums and daycares where we run ourstudies, we wish to make sure that the families we interact with have the best possible

experience. It is our mission to be positive, to educate, and to make families feel safe andhappy at all times.

1. Smile. Be friendly and professional at all times. You represent both themuseum and NYU.

2. Slow down. Give every participant/volunteer/staff person your full attention.Speak slowly and clearly, pause for response. Resist the temptation to multitask.

3. Keep the parents informed. Make the research process transparent. Walkparents/participants/volunteers/staff through as many steps as possible.

a. “ Next I ’ m just making sure I know where the baby ’ s looking ” b. “ First we ’ ll do a warm-up task ”

4. Be inclusive. Include interested participants whether we can use the data or not(because of developmental delays, language barriers, etc). Always allowinterested siblings to participate (even if they are the wrong age). Talk tointerested adults, even if they are not parents.

5. Ask – don ’ t guess.a. Remember that parents and legal guardians may be much older or

younger than you expect, may be two men or two women, or may be of adifferent racial or ethnic background than the child.

i. If you ask “ Are you her nanny? ” , “ Are you her grandmother? ” tosomeone who is the parent, you can cause hurt feelings.

ii. Ask instead: “ Are you here with your kids today? ” ; “ Are you her legal

guardian? ” b. Children come in all shapes and sizes.

i. If you say, “ Are you four? ” or “ he looks about two, right? ” to a small6-year-old or to the parents of a large 1-year-old you may cause hurt orembarrassment.

ii. Ask instead: “ How old are you? ” “ May I ask how old is he/she? ” iii. Be careful of making assumptions about gender. If you ’re not sure ask

“ What is your child ’ s name? ” 6. Keep it positive. “ She did great. ” “ She explored a lot. ” “ He was a big help. ” If

it ’ s obvious that the child did something other than the predicted behavior: “ Thechildren are always right. The children ’ s job is to show us how children behave.

Our predictions can be wrong but the children never are. ” 7. Be honest and professional. If you don ’ t know the answer to a question, say so,

but give a way to find the answer (you will contact them after asking someone,recommending another expert to ask, etc). Never guess or make up an answer.

8. Report any concerns immediately. If you think something might have gonewrong, tell the supervisor on duty and the PI right away. We can only dodamage control when we know what happened. You will never get in trouble fortelling us things we need to know.


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SETTING UP AND CLEANING UP AT CMOM

When you arrive at CMOM, you ’ ll want to check in with the security guard, touch base withthe other researchers, and set up so that you are ready to recruit participants. Make sure thateverything is ready to go so that once you start recruiting, things will run smoothly andefficiently. And if you are at CMOM for the closing shift, you ’ ll need to clean everything upso that everything is as it was when we first got there.

The steps:1. Enter CMOM at the door under the blue awning (next to the museum ’ s main

entrance).a. Tell the security guard that you are with NYU and ask what room you are in

today. If the guard doesn ’ t know, he should call the museum supervisor andask. In any case, be sure that the room you are going to is the room that themuseum supervisor has approved.

b. Follow the guard ’ s instructions to sign in.1.2. Once all of the researchers have arrived, go to our storage space to get all of the

materials that will be used that day (cameras and tripods, data folders, and anythingneeded to run studies).

1.3. In the testing room, decide which space will be used by which researcher. Wherenecessary, set up video cameras.

a. Put a memory card into each camera and MAKE SURE THAT THECAMERA IS SET TO RECORD TO THE MEMORY CARD.

b. Put the cameras on the tripods, making sure they are set up at a good angle toget a shot of the table and the child.

2. Put up the signs on the museum floor. There should be 3 signs set in the followinglocations:

a. On the door to the testing room. b. On the wall next to the elevator.c. On the orange wall near the “ playworks lab ” (if on the 3rd floor).

3. Set up all of the forms (consent, newsletter, etc.) in the testing room so that they areeasy for parents to see.

4. Set up your study materials so that they are ready to go when you bring in your first participant.

5. IF YOU ARE ON THE CLOSING SHIFT: At the end of the day, take down thesigns and put away all of your materials. Bring everything back to our storage space.

d. Take the memory cards out of the cameras.e. Put away all of the cameras, tripods, forms, and materials.f. If it is Sunday, one person is responsible to bring the folder with all of the

filled data forms and the memory cards back to the lab.


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RECRUITING PARTICIPANTS

Before you begin recruiting, make sure you ’ ve fully settled into the museum. Set up yourstimuli, test your stimuli, make sure you have your badge and NYU ID on, and say hello to

staff. Have everything set and ready to go so there is no delay for the parent. Be aware ofyour demeanor as you ’ re walking around the recruiting area. Avoid staring at or followingchildren around as much as possible. Keep eye contact towards adults in the space.Remember that you are a stranger to most of these adults, and even with your badge, your

presence could be confusing. Make sure you always have a smile on your face.

When recruiting study participants, the key is to be friendly and clear. Generally parents arequite receptive, but will be turned off if (a) you seem nervous or disinterested, or (b) they areconfused about what you ’ re requesting. Remember that these parents don ’ t know who youare, or what you want to do with their child.

An important note: For those moments when you are not actively recruiting a parent, makesure your behavior and conversations with other researchers, staff, and patrons are entirely

professional and appropriate. Remember that even when you are inactive, you are still the“ public face of science research ” , and are a representative of NYU and of the labs while youare in the museums. Make sure you are observing the “ hospital elevator rules ” and NEVERtalk about a subject after the study (e.g. “ Wow that kid would not stop crying ” ).

The steps:1. Don ’ t make assumptions in recruitment – recruit inclusively. Approach all adults with

children who might be close to your age range.a. If someone senses you are intentionally passing them over, they could take it

the wrong way. Approach anyway, and if there ’ s not a legal guardian present,explain that requirement.

a. Often the parent may be in the area, perhaps with another child.2. Make your approach natural and friendly3. Introduce yourself4. Describe your connection to the museum space (why you ’ re here)5. Describe what you ’ re doing today (focus on describing the stimuli so parents have a

tangible image – “ we ’ ll show your child some pictures and ask him/her to point tothem. ”

6. Ask for participation.7. If you ’ re turned down – don ’ t take it personally. Smile, thank them, and move on.

a. If parents seem unsure or ambivalent, let them know where you ’ ll be ( “ I’ ll bewalking around until about 5:00 if you want to try it out a bit later ” )

Figure out your own comfortable way to introduce yourself. The most important thing is tosound natural. Practice introducing yourself to lab mates, friends, family, etc.


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Recruitment script - initial contact:

“ Hi, my name is Darlene, and I ’ m here from NYU. We ’ re doing some research with themuseum today about how children learn about the world around them. Are you here with

your kids today?”

(parent says yes)

“ That ’ s great – how old is [he/she]? ”

(parent says they are in your age range)

“ I’ m actually running a study with [age]-year-olds today, where I show them some picturesand ask a few questions – it takes about ten minutes. Do you think you might be interested in

participating? ”


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CONSENT FORMS

It is mandatory for ALL study participants to sign our UCAIHS approved consent form. Theconsent form must be signed by a legal guardian of the child – no exceptions!! Children who

are with a caregiver, or whose parents don ’ t wish to sign the consent form, can always participate, but no data (even pilot data) may be collected.

Once a parent and child have agreed to participate, lead them over to the testing room andshow them the consent form.

The steps:1. Inform the parent that we need to have a signed consent form in order for the

child to participate2. Explain what they ’ re signing

a. Parent will be present the whole time

b. The parent or child can ask to stop at any time for any reasonc. The study will be video-recordedi. Explain why: So we can have a record of exactly what the child

did/said; so we can have a second person double check our results.ii. Explain the tapes are for research purposes only; all information

will be kept confidentiald. Give parent a chance to look over forms (engage child while parent reads

forms)e. Give parent a copy of the brochure and keep the signed brochure (parent

consent form)3. If the parent has concerns:

a. About video/data storage --assure parent that consent forms and videos arefor research only, kept in locked lab and that names are not connected withthe data – we keep track of what children do as a group, not the behavior ofany one child (e.g. 10 of 16 children chose the blue block).

b. About giving out child ’ s information - they can put first name or initialsonly. Let them know that the date of birth does need to be accurate, as ourstudies are age-dependent.

c. And decides not to participate – be accepting. Let them know youunderstand, and thank them for considering.


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Recruitment script - consent:

“ Before we get started, I ’ m going to ask you to sign a consent form. It just explains that thisis completely voluntary, and if you or your child want to stop at any time, that ’ s fine. We use

a video camera, but the recordings are for research purposes only and are completelyconfidential. Your child ’ s name will not be connected with the results. ”


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STUDY PREPARATION

An informed parent is a comfortable parent. Parents (and children old enough to understand)should know what ’ s going on at all times. Tell them what you ’re doing, and what you need

them to do. Be explicit in your directions, and when applicable, explain why.

The steps:1. Explain what the initial setup is

a. Include details about the study format:i. “ First I ’ ll be showing her some pictures on the computer screen

and then I ’m going to ask her to make some guesses about the pictures. ”

ii. “ First I ’ m going to read him a short story and then I ’ m going to askhim some questions about the story. The whole thing should takeabout 10 minutes. ”

2. Tell parent his/her role (or lack thereof)a. If you need the parent to make sure he/she doesn ’ t speak or give any cues,

explain why (e.g. “ because your child usually tries to check in with youfor clues about what ’ s going on, but we ’ re interested in what your childthinks on her own …” )

b. Be specific in your directions: “ We ask that you face the wall so that youwon ’ t see the screen. Your baby will probably be checking in with you alot, and we don ’ t want her to pick up any cues from you; we ’re interestedto find out what she thinks on her own. We ’ d be happy to show you thevideos she was watching at the end of the study. ”

c. “ Please try not to give your child any verbal cues or point; we ’ recontrolling the language/cues we use during the study. ”

3. Situate the childa. Make sure that the parent/child will be comfortable with the setup:

i. “ Is he comfortable in a high chair? ” ; “ Do you think she will be finesitting on her own? ”

ii. Make adjustments if necessary (e.g. put child on parent ’ s lap, finda different place or position for the child to sit)

b. Note that you should not pick up a child. Let the parent place a small childin a high chair or wherever the child needs to be.

c. For preschool and older, use an age-appropriate voice to entice the child tohis/her chair or spot. “ I have a special seat for you right over here. ”

*The script at this point will depend on what study you are running. Discuss with thesupervisor of the study how to appropriately prepare the parent and child for what you aregoing to do - your explanation should include a basic description of the procedure, andshowing the parent sample stimuli, where applicable.


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RUNNING A STUDY

You will run your study according to the script for that individual project. If you have anyquestions about specific procedures for a study, ask the supervisor. And throughout the study,take notes on anything that you think might influence the results (e.g., the child was overlydistracted, the parent interfered, etc.).

The steps:1. Before you begin, make sure that the parent has all of his/her questions answered.

Make sure the child knows your name (if old enough) and is comfortable withyou.

a. If the child is shy, make sure the parent is close by (sitting right with thechild may be fine for the majority of studies).

b. If necessary, bring out another toy or introductory book to get the childcomfortable with the environment before testing begins.

2. If anything goes wrong with your stimuli, continue through the end of the study.Whether or not we can use the data, the parent and child should have a goodexperience.

a. If your error was obvious, be honest about the situation. Correct it if youcan, and run the subject as normal (whether or not you can use the data atthis point).

b. See “ When things go wrong ” and “ Q&A ” sections for more details.3. If there is a free play portion to the study, and you step away from interacting

with the child, remind the parent about what ’ s going on (e.g. “ We ’ re going to lethim play by himself for a minute and then ask a few more questions ” ). Otherwise

parents may get confused and think the study is over.


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DEBRIEFING PARENTS

Once the study is completed, make sure to congratulate the child, give out stickers and/orcertificates, and then explain the study to the parents. You want to give the parent a general

overview of the study, and try to work in details about what their particular child did duringthe study.

The steps:1. Take your time – make sure you are giving a detailed explanation of the study,

and don ’ t rush to move on to the next potential subject. Of course, balance thiswith being respectful of the parent ’ s time. Don ’ t keep them if they need to go.

a. Don ’ t assume the parent isn ’ t interested in hearing about the study! We areeducators as well as researchers, and should work to share our knowledge.Give the parents the benefit of the doubt, and err on the side of over-informing. Parents will let you know when they ’ ve had enough.

b. Speak slowly and clearly, and take the time to explain complicatedconcepts. Keep in mind the “ why ” questions – not just want you didduring the study, but why you did it (e.g. “ we had one trial where theairplane didn ’ t turn on, so we could measure whether child looked upexpecting it to go off. This would tell us that the child has learned theassociation between the two events. ” )

2. Explain the big picture – what ’ s the more general question of your study.3. Explain the method.4. Emphasize child ’ s helpfulness as a research participant (e.g., “ she was very

attentive and had great looks to and away from each video ” ; “ he did a great job paying attention to my stories and had great explanations ” ).

5. Answer parent ’ s questions as best you can. Don ’ t be afraid to say, “ I don ’ t know, ” but don ’ t end the conversation there – give them an avenue to find out more. SeeQ&A section for advice on dealing with parent questions.

a. Make a note of questions that you don ’ t know the answer to so that youcan go over them with your supervisor.

6. End by thanking the parent and emphasizing that their child was a super helpful participant. Give them a copy of our newsletter, and allow them to sign up toreceive the next edition, if they want.


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ATYPICAL SITUATIONS, AND WHAT TO DO WHENTHINGS GO WRONG

Studies don ’ t always go the way we planned, and neither do interactions with parents andchildren. Some situations might require delicate handling. When mishaps occur, or you thinka parent may have come away with a negative impression, it is important to let the supervisorand PI know IMMEDIATELY. Let me say this again: when you think something may havegone wrong, TELL US. You will never get in trouble for telling us things we need toknow.

Sometimes parents will inform you of an atypical situation (e.g. child is not typicallydeveloping, child does not speak English, child was born prematurely) as you are recruiting.Specific details are below, but as a general guideline, run these children as you would anyother child. After the child & parent leave, make a note of the exceptional circumstance sothe lead researcher knows. In the rare case that there is no possible way to run the study (e.g.a verbal task for children who don ’ t speak English), it may be prudent to inform the parentthat we may not be able to run the full study, but we would be happy to have them come overand learn about the research if they want. In all cases, give a full educational opportunity to

parents.

Below are a few sample atypical situations, and suggestions about how to respond.

1. The child is physically hurt during the study.a. Allow the parent to assess the injury.

b. Seek help from museum staff.c. No matter how serious or minor the injury is, tell the PI and lead researcher

immediately.2. The child gets upset (cries, yells, etc.).

a. For non-infants – ask the child if they ’ d like to be done. Stop the study. b. For infants – stop the current trial. Depending on the severity of the crying, try

the next trial to see if the child re-engages. It ’ s almost always a good idea tostop the study sooner rather than later. Remember that first and foremost, wewant families to have a positive experience, and it ’s best to allow the child toredirect to another activity before full-fledged tantrum mode is reached.

c. Always defer to the parent ’ s judgment – if the parent thinks the child shouldstop, then stop.

d. Assure the parent that we understand children have their own ways of lettingus know that they don ’ t want to participate in the study.

e. Let the parent know that it ’ s helpful for us to know when our stimuli is notengaging enough for kids – it may mean we need to make changes.

f. Make sure you still debrief the parent (if parent is not occupied with upsetchild), and make sure they get a sticker/certificate.

3. You notice before or during a study that a child is not typically developing.


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e. Most likely, data will not be used. Make a note on the data sheet and informthe lead researcher.

6. The parent does not speak English.a. If you approach a parent for recruitment and discover that the parent does not

speak English, use your smile and simple words to depart the situation. A

simple“Ok, I understand, thank you

”, with a nod and a wave is sufficient. b. A parent who does not understand English well CANNOT give informed

consent. This is the bottom line, even if the child speaks English well, the parent is legally responsible for the child and must be able to read andunderstand ALL information in the consent forms.

7. The parent wanders away or leaves the room during the study. Parents may havemore than one child with them, and sometimes need to follow a wandering sibling.We cannot be alone with children at the museum (parents must be present) .

a. Pause the study immediately. b. Take the child over to the parent, and inform the parent that she must remain

in the area for the duration of the study.

i.

If the parent questions, inform her that it’s a museum policy.8. Other children/adults interrupt (or are on the verge of interrupting) your study.

a. Take interruptions in stride. Be friendly and clear in your directions to theinterrupter. Know your protocol well enough to be able to pick up from whereyou left off before the interruption, or go back to an appropriate point to makesure the child didn ’ t miss any evidence.

b. Inform other children that “ This is a one-at-a-time game, and it ’ s Billy ’ s turnnow. You can be next if you can wait patiently over there. ”

ii. Never tell a child he can ’ t participate.iii. Redirection is helpful (e.g. “ Why don ’ t you go check out the slide for

now ” ).

c. If interrupted by an adult (barring any emergency concerns), inform them thatyou ’ re “ conducting a research study and would be happy to talk to them in just a few minutes. ”

d. If you ’ re concerned about whether the interrupted session can be kept, informthe lead researcher and if necessary review the tape together.

9. Parent/Child outside of age range want to participate.a. Anyone is welcome to participate if they ’ d like.

b. Let parent know what age range you ’re testing. Explain that you ’ d be happy todemonstrate the study and explain what you ’ re studying. Make it clear thatyou are not collecting data and your video is not turned on.

c. If you ’ re running an infant study and the interested parent/child is not an

infant, explain that we have special ways of finding out what infants know,like measuring the amount of time they look at simple video clips, and that itwould probably be very boring for an older child. Explain how our methodsdiffer for older children.

d. If appropriate, feel free to modify/shorten your procedure and focus on thechild being able to play with your stimuli and have a good time. While thechild is playing, you can explain the study to the parent.


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e. Especially if the child is struggling with your tasks/questions, explain to parent that the study was carefully designed for children of a particular agerange, and may not be compelling to a child older/younger.

f. Debrief parents of study motivations/questions.10. Child with a caregiver (non-legal-guardian) wishes to participate

a.

Explain to the caregiver that we do actually need a legal guardian’s signaturein order to conduct the study, but we ’ d be happy to show the child how it

works and tell the caregiver all about the science. If the caregiver visits theMuseum with the child often, they are welcome to take a permission sliphome and bring it back with a parental signature the next time that they visit.

11. Parent interferes – talking, pointing, etc.a. Remind the parent not to point or help their child.

i. “ We ’ re carefully controlling what cues we give ” ii. “ We ’ re interested in what the child will pay attention to on her own ”

b. Depending on how (and how much) the parent interfered, you may need todrop the data. Make a note of any parent interference and inform study PI.

12. Parent informs you their infant is premature.a. Run them as you would a full-term baby. b. Ask how many weeks premature, and record information on consent form.c. Consult the study PI with questions.

13. You have technical issues:a. Remain positive and professional.

b. With your toy stimuli :i. Continue as best you can, even if you will not be able to recover

useable data.ii. If feasible, explain the malfunction to the child/parent: “ whoops, looks

like the wire came loose, let me just fix that. ”

iii. If the child breaks your toy, remain calm and smile/laugh it off.1. Let them know it ’ s easily fixed and has happened before.2. If you can continue the study, do so.3. Never blame the child. Remain positive and professional. “ This

block is pretty flimsy, don ’ t worry about it. I need to make asturdier version. ”

iv. If you can ’ t continue the study, apologize to the child, and give him acertificate/sticker: “ It looks like my toy is broken, I ’ m sorry! Let megive you a certificate and a sticker for being such a good helper today.I’ m sorry we couldn ’ t finish our game, but you did a great job. ”

v. Make sure you debrief parent on whole study.


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Q&A

This section will focus on questions that you should be prepared to deal with – someinnocuous, some more difficult. Think about how you would answer these for your

particular study (if applicable), and put answers in your own words, so you can delivercomfortable, confident answers to parents.

1. How ’ d my kid do / Did he pass / Is my child smart / Did she “ get it ” ?a. Tell the parent that their child was a great participant. Point out exactly how

the child was helpful (e.g. “ she was very attentive and watched our wholeshow ” , “ he gave great, detailed explanations for my questions ” , “ he looked

just where he thought the block would appear ” ).i. You may also want point out things that were obvious digressions and

explain them away (e.g. “ your child decided to use the wands asdrumsticks, which is definitely a creative approach that she found

much more interesting than our task. This may tell us we need tomodify our stimuli ” ).

b. Sometimes this is the first thing a parent says after the study is completed. Usethis question as a launching point into your debriefing to describe exactlywhat the child did during the study, while of course explaining the science.See “ Debriefing Parents ” section.

c. Explain that this isn ’ t a “ test ” to pass or fail. We ’ re actually looking to yourchildren to tell us what is “ right ” or “ normal ” . We look to see on average howa group of children will react to the task as compared to another group seeingslightly different evidence.

2. What ’ s this study about? What studies are you doing today?a. If before study:

ii. If adult has children in tow, ask how old they are. If kids are in yourrange, explain study as you would to recruit!

iii. If no kids in your range, give a full debrief explanation to the adult. b. If after their child has been run:

i. Pre-empt this question and debrief all parents right after study!ii. Give your debriefing spiel.

3. My child is (age too old or too young), can she participate?a. Explain that the study is designed for children age xx-yy, so you can ’ t collect

data, but you ’ d be happy to demo the study for the child and explain what thestudy is about if they want.

b. Based on what you think they child can handle, modify your methods to provide an engaging experience for the child (for example, it would bedifficult to get a 2-year-old to make predictions/explanations about howobjects interact. For significantly older children, think about explaining studyas you demo, using simple language).

4. My child is not typically developing, can she participate?a. Yes. Anyone is welcome to participate.

i. Modify your methods if necessary.


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b. If a parent asks if the data will be used, or if her child ’ s condition makes adifference, be honest. Explain that our research generally describes, onaverage, what children may be capable of at a certain point in development.Therefore we collect data on typically developing children within a certainage range. However, all children are welcome to participate and learn about

the study.5. Can you watch my child? / Can I leave my child with you? (participants or siblings)a. Note that we must never be alone in a private space with a child.

ii. Parents must stay with children at all times. If the parent wanders off,you must stop the study immediately and bring the child over to the

parent. Parent must stay in the testing room.6. I’ m a nanny/grandparent/non-guardian, and I have permission to sign for child.

a. Instruct adult that our review board requires a legal guardian signature, andwe unfortunately cannot accept any other form of consent. However, we canof course demo the study and explain it if they want.

7. What are you studying / What kind of work do you do / What lab is this?

a.

Explain who you are (grad/undergrad at NYU doing research with theConceptual Development and Social Cognition Lab). Feel free to explain your personal research interests.

b. Explain the lab.i. (e.g., “ We are the Conceptual Development and Social Cognition Lab,

run by NYU professor Marjorie Rhodes. We study cognitivedevelopment. We are interested in how children learn and reasonabout the world around them. ” )

8. Why do some kids “ get it ” and not others / Do all kids get it / What do others do?a. Explain that this isn ’ t a “ test ” to pass or fail. We ’ re actually looking to your

children to tell us what is “ right ” or “ normal ” . We look to see on average how

a group of children will react to the task as compared to another group seeingslightly different evidence. b. Explain that every child develops at a different pace. There are many factors

that can affect what a child does in our tasks. Hopefully we control for manyof these factors, but this is why we look at a group of children to see, onaverage, what children may be capable of.

c. Explain the different things a child might do in your study, and whyii. Emphasize that all these things are perfectly reasonable and typical.

9. How can I find out the results of this study?a. Explain research process so adult has a sense of the time scale.

b. Parents can learn more about these studies on the CDSC website, Marjorie ’ s

website, our lab newsletter, and on the parent consent form brochure.c. We will also have a sheet where parents can give us their email so that we cansend them an updated newsletter at the end of the school year.

10. So what do you do next? / Other research process questionsa. The research process is longer than you might think. You ’re near the

(beginning, middle, end) of collecting data now, and so far are finding (x). b. After analyzing the data, you will write up the paper for publication in a

scientific journal.


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c. Your article will be reviewed by other scientists, and hopefully (eventually)accepted.

11. Any question on which you ’ re not an expert / Any question not pertaining to our lab ’ sresearch / Any question you don ’ t know the answer to:

a. I don ’ t know – a very legitimate answer to a question, as long as you give the

adult a way to find out the answer! Most important thing: don ’ t makesomething up.i. “ That question might be best directed to your pediatrician. ” ii. “ I’ m not sure, but (x resource) might be a good place to start to find

more information. ” iii. “ I’ m not an expert in that area. My research focuses on (x), but I know

(person) does some work in that area. Here ’ s how you can get in touchwith this person. ”

iv. “ Let me ask the senior researcher in my lab. ” Take down contactinformation, and pass the question along.

12. Why is this important / So what / What does this mean?

a. Explain the ‘ big picture ’ of your study (which you should also do in yourdebriefing).

i. We ’ re hoping this research will help show how children are able to … ii. This gives evidence that …

13. How does this relate to me / What can I do at home?a. Emphasize that we are doing basic, empirical science that asks fundamental

questions about the nature of learning. We don ’ t test any direct, “ real life ” ,application, but want to understand how the mind is structured and how itdevelops. We hope to inspire people to understand that children areimmensely powerful learners, and are learning through just about everythingthey do.

14. Does this have implications for education?a. Explain that we are doing basic, empirical science that asks fundamental

questions about the nature of learning and development. We don ’ t work on thelevel of direct, educational applications. We do hope that scientists who workin educational psychology and education theory might be inspired by ourresearch when developing their own. We can hope to inspire people tounderstand that young children and even babies are immensely powerfullearners capable of understanding much more than we might think.

15. Does the population here affect your results?a. There ’ s no doubt that we might be getting a less-than-representative sample

by running children of parents willing to bring their child into a children ’ s

museum, and excited to volunteer in research. b. However, our studies are controlled so that children are randomly assigned to

different experimental conditions. The only difference between two conditionsshould be the kind of evidence they see. So, we ’ re not looking at the abilitiesof individual children; we ’re comparing what the children do with differentkinds of evidence.

16. Are there any gender differences in your studies?


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a. Thus far, we haven ’ t found gender differences in any of our lab ’ s studies. Thisis not to say that gender differences don ’ t exist, but we haven ’ t come acrossany in children ’ s abilities with these types of reasoning.


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STAFF AND VOLUNTEER INTERACTIONS

We strive to have a strong relationship with the staff and volunteers of the museum. Each dayyou test, make sure you greet all staff and volunteers in the area. Keep them informed about

your research, and if possible make sure to demonstrate your study. This will not only givethem insight into the science of cognitive development, but it will also empower them toanswer visitor questions about our presence and it will create a more cohesive environmentwhere our research is really a part of the exhibit space.

When possible, offer to demonstrate or explain your study to any staff/volunteers who might be interested. Offer as much knowledge and time as the staff person would like.

Suggested format for a sit-down discussion with demo:1. Introduce yourself! Who you are, what you do at NYU, what you do in the lab, how

long you ’ ve been with the lab.

2. Introduce your study:a. What is the background, what are the motivations?

b. What questions are we asking? What are the hypotheses?3. How are we approaching these questions:

a. Study method. Explain your studies and the conditions. Run volunteers as“ subjects ”

b. Explain why each condition is important (to see whether children know/willdo x, as a control for z … )

c. What do we expect? What do we want the kid to do? What happens when theydon ’ t do what we want them to do?

4. What are the results so far?5. Are our hypotheses supported? Remind them what we want to show6. Why is this interesting? Why should parents care?7. Connections to parent/child world, or connections to interactions in the museum …

what/where can parents find this behavior in every day life?a. Caveat: make it clear that we are doing basic science, and don ’ t claim any

direct application or benefit in our research. We can hope to inspire futureresearch and general interest in how kids learn.

Questions to expect, or to be prepared for. The “ Q&A ” section of this document will also beuseful. Remember that we ’ re talking about science to informal educators, some of whom are

parents themselves. They will want to know how they can relate the science to their own

lives and experiences. Think about how you can relate your study to different contexts:- Why is this study important?

o For science?o For parents?o For the museums?

- How can parents at home use this research? How can educators use this research?

Important notes:


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- This is a conversation. Keep it simple, in your own words.- Pause often to see if there are any questions or clarifications needed.- Have fun! This is an informal setting talking to people who have a genuine curiosity

for what we ’ re doing.


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MUSEUM CHECKLISTImportant things to remember before, during, and after running subjects

at CMOM

ALWAYS insert the memory cards into the camera before recording. After insertingthem, press "switch memory to card."

o Otherwise it will just record on the camera! This is important because we only returnthe memory cards to the lab each week.

ALWAYS check off the ID number BEFORE you start running your study.o The next person needs to know which ID number to use. It is very important

that we do not repeat ID numbers.

ALWAYS write the ID number and the name of the study on the consent anddemographic form.

ALWAYS write the ID number on answer form and coding sheet.

ALWAYS say the ID number of the participant after you start recording. Pause forone second; say the ID, then start running the study.

ALWAYS remember to indicate the condition you are running on your answerform (if applicable).

ALWAYS fill out a coding sheet

AT THE END OF YOUR MUSEUM SHIFT:

o Double check with the other researchers that you have not repeated any IDnumbers.

o Make sure to check the ID number written on your answer form, offlinecoding sheet, consent form, and any other form that may be a part of yourstudy. These should all match for one participant.

o IF YOU MAKE A MISTAKE, JUST MAKE A NOTE OF IT ON ALLAPPROPRIATE FORMS.

SUNDAY SUPERVISOR: All supplies (memory cards, forms, subject ID list)

must be back in lab NO LATER THAN 10:00am!

cdsc museum manual

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