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Professor Mark Nielsen (School of Psychology, University of Queensland)
Dr Sumeet Farwaha (Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Psychology, University of Queensland)
Ee Liz Puah (PhD Candidate, School of Psychology, University of Queensland)
What is this research about?
Being able to imitate is important to our social development and function as human beings. Previous research stating that we are born able to imitate has been found to be insubstantial, so with this study we would like to readdress the question of whether imitation is innate, learned, or a combination of both.
What will my child and I need to do?
Your participation involves you coming into our labs with your child to participate in an imitation task, where we will record your child’s behaviour while they view live presentations of various facial expressions and hand gestures. We will run two of such sessions, the first one being while your child is 4.5 months old and the second being when they are 6 months old. After the first session, we will provide you with instructions for how to facilitate a daily 10-minute playtime for your child, which we would appreciate if you can carry out for the whole 1.5 months between the two sessions. Participation usually runs for about 30 minutes per session, and you will never be separated from your child.
What are the possible benefits of taking part?
Each child will receive a certificate and a small gift for participating at the end of the study. You will also receive a $20 e-gift voucher as compensation for your travel time.
What are the possible risks and disadvantages of taking part?
There are no risks to taking part beyond those of everyday life. If you have any concerns, please feel free to reach out to the researcher (e.puah@uq.edu.au) to discuss them.
What will happen to the information about me and my child?
We will ask you during each testing session if you are happy for us to record videos of your child. This is just for data collection purposes and will not be viewed by anyone other than us and potential collaborators, all of whom are trained researchers. All information regarding you and your child will be treated with the strictest confidentiality. We expect to publish and/or present the results of this research project in a variety of forms, but information will be provided in such a way that you cannot be identified, unless we have your permission.
What will happen if I decide to withdraw?
Nothing at all – you can withdraw without any judgement or penalty whatsoever at any point in this process.
Can I hear about the results of this research?
Yes! The results of this research will be shared as part of the annual Early Cognitive Development Centre newsletter that will be distributed to all caregivers within our database.
Who can I contact if I have any concerns about the project?
Whilst you are free to discuss your participation in this study with the researcher contactable at e.puah@uq.edu.au. if you would like to speak to an officer of the University not involved in the study, you may contact the Ethics Coordinator on +617 3365 3924 / +617 3443 1656 or email humanethics@research.uq.edu.au.