For the parents of Hong Kong, it offers a chance to see their child not just as a tiny person, but as a sophisticated, logical, and profoundly curious scientist of the human world. If you are a student interested in volunteering or a parent wishing to enroll your child, contact the , specifically the Developmental area.
For toddlers, the lab transforms into a playroom. Researchers use puppets, toys, and stickers to create scenarios that test sharing behavior, logical deduction, or problem-solving. cognitive development lab hku
The most common method involves tracking eye movements. By measuring how long a baby stares at an expected event versus an unexpected event (e.g., a ball passing through a solid wall), researchers can infer whether the child understands physical laws. For the parents of Hong Kong, it offers
The findings directly impact education. If HKU researchers discover that children learn causal relationships best through physical manipulation rather than passive observation, kindergarten curricula can be redesigned. If they find that certain types of parental praise boost executive function, pediatricians can disseminate that advice. Researchers use puppets, toys, and stickers to create
Parents interested in contributing to science while engaging their child in a novel activity can sign up via the HKU Faculty of Social Sciences’ participant database. The Bigger Picture Why does this research matter outside the lab?
HONG KONG – In a quiet corner of The University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Social Sciences, a team of developmental psychologists is working to answer one of science’s most profound questions: How do young children learn to think, reason, and navigate their social world?