PSY 2220R: Laboratory on Social Cognitive Development

In order to become enrolled in PSY 2220R, please:

• Email Emma (eyu@g.harvard.edu) and Denisse (denisselopez@g.harvard.edu) to express interest
• Fill out this interest form by April 8th.
• Petition for PSY 2220R on my.harvard.edu by Wednesday, April 17th.

We will be conducting interviews on a rolling basis until Monday, April 15th.

Please read the Fall 2024 Syllabus and our website for more information!

Also, you can check out our lab members' research interests here!

Course Description:

PSY 2220R is a laboratory methods course designed for students to gain research experience in an infant and child cognitive development psychology lab. Students will work closely with a mentor in the Thomas Lab on their research and get hands-on experience. Students will engage in all aspects of the scientific process, including experimental design, data collection, and data interpretation. In addition to working in the lab, students will participate in weekly lab meetings where members of the lab and other researchers will present their work. We encourage participation from all members of the lab including research assistants taking this course. There will also be opportunities for professional development held through our lab and through the developmental area.

Course Expectations:

• Onboarding with lab managers
• Lab meeting attendance and participation or equivalent (only if there is a regular conflict in your schedule)
• Lab work, supervised by a mentor
• Final poster project

Students will work 10-15 hours/week in the lab (including our 2 hour lab meeting and meetings with mentors), in shifts of at least 2 hours. For the most part, lab work will take place in our lab. Students will also work in the lab for 5 hours total during the reading period, though the timing of these hours is flexible. If for any reason the student is unable to work these hours, they should check in with their mentor and this time can be excused. 

During lab shifts, students will engage in participant recruitment, scheduling, designing and creating experimental stimuli, coding infant and toddler behavioral data, and assisting researchers in running studies. Each student will be paired with a researcher in the lab and will have the opportunity to work closely with that researcher on experimental design, methodology, stimulus construction, and data coding and processing for a specific research project. 

Grading:

You and your mentor will set your own agenda for the course. During the first week of the term, students and mentors will complete a mentorship agreement. Part of this agreement will be a written statement about what the student hopes to get out of their time in the lab and what actionable steps they will take to do so. This plan should include their own criteria for grading, which must include a final project and work in the lab. At the end of the term, this will be revisited to issue a final grade. Students will propose a final grade by writing a reflection at the end of term. This grade and the reflection will be reviewed by the student’s mentor and by Ashley, who will make the final decision.