Current Studies

Examining caregivers’ interactions with a digital child: How does infant behavior affect caregiver responsiveness?

Soul Machines has developed BabyX, a groundbreaking, lifelike interactive model of a human infant. Using a touchscreen and webcam, BabyX engages with users in real time, mimicking real infant behavior. The Early Learning Lab uses BabyX to explore how parents respond to infant cues, with the goal of improving caregiver responsiveness through targeted interventions.

We are seeking parents of 1 to 3 years-old children to participate in this ground-breaking research. Sign up now to be a part of this exciting study, funded by the Royal Society of New Zealand’s Marsden Fund.

Infants in control – measuring infants’ degrees of guidance of visual attention

This project investigates when and how infants learn from their environment by guiding their visual attention. While infants naturally learn by focusing on interesting, information-rich areas, it’s unclear when they gain the ability to choose their own points of focus—rather than simply following where their attention is directed (e.g., a caregiver pointing to a kite versus the infant independently choosing to look at it).

We’ve developed an interactive eye-tracking study to explore how infants guide their visual attention. We’re inviting families with infants aged 4–13 months to participate in this important developmental research.

If you are a caregiver of a 4-13 month-old infant and are interested in participating, please sign up today to take part!

School of Psychology
Building 302, 2nd Floor
23 Symonds Street
The University of Auckland
Auckland, 1142
Aotearoa / New Zealand

Phone:
+64 9 9234236
Email:
developmentalscience@auckland.ac.nz