Q: Will I be with my child during
the study?
A: Yes. You will be with your child at all times before,
during, and after the study session.
Q: Are there any risks involved
in participation?
A: There are no particular risks to you or your child. Our
methods rely entirely on behavioral observation and are completely
non-intrusive. There are also no privacy risks, as you
and your child’s name are kept confidential and are
never directly linked to any published findings.
Q: Can I bring my other children
with me when we participate?
A: Yes. We have well-trained research assistants
in the lab who are happy to play with your second child in
the playroom while you participate in the study. Please
just let us know beforehand if a sibling will be coming along.
Q: Is my child eligible if he
or she is multilingual?
A: Our current research focuses on children learning
mainly English or Spanish as their first language. However,
we occasionally conduct studies of children learning other
languages, and we’ll be happy to let you know.
Q: What will this experience
tell me about my child?
A: Our research explores basic developmental processes
in children of different ages rather than individual differences. So
our goal is not to provide an assessment of any particular
child’s language development and we will not be able
to give you feedback about your child. But when the study
is complete you will have access to general findings about
your child’s age group and what factors play critical
roles in language learning and comprehension.
Q: Who is conducting the studies?
A: Dr. Anne Fernald, a developmental psychologist on
the faculty of the Stanford Psychology Department, is the
principle investigator for our research program. Christina Branom is the Project Coordinator. Postdoctoral
researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate honors students
are all involved in conducting the studies.
Q: How is this research funded?
A: Our current research is funded by a grant awarded to Dr.
Fernald by the National Institute of Health (NIH).
Q: What will come of this research?
A: When studies are completed (which usually takes several
months) our findings are discussed with other researchers
here at Stanford and nationwide, and presented at international
conferences on child development. Then they are written
up for publications in major academic journals. Findings
from such research not only contribute to a greater understanding
of language development in typically developing children,
but may also have clinical implications valuable to researchers
working with children with language disorders.
Q: How can I find out about the
results of the study my child participated in?
A: Once the study is completed, a summary will be posted
on our website. You can also call us for a hard copy.
