The The Play Study will last 9-10 months. During the first 3-4 months, there will two 2-3-hour visits and one 1-hour visit to our lab at the Department of Psychology in Iowa City. There will be also 8 brief (half hour) play sessions (4 in your home, 4 in the lab).

Then, 6 months later, there will be one 3 ½ hour visit to our lab.

The lab is a homelike, fun environment, furnished comfortably, with children's safety in mind. Snacks, beverages, other foodstuffs, reading materials, toys, books, etc. are provided.

The Laboratory

You and your child will be observed in situations that resemble typical daily contexts, for example, daily care routines, playing, cleaning up toys, having a snack, talking, etc. In some situations, the focus will be on the child. For example, we will observe your child’s emotional response to funny, colorful puppets, or to a somewhat unusual-looking toy, or to a minor "mishap", such as a toy suddenly breaking.

A female staff member, the visit coordinator, experienced with mothers and children, will conduct the lab visits. All sessions will be videotaped.

You will receive a detailed script of the session beforehand; the visit coordinator will answer all your questions before or during the session.

For more information, please call 319-335-0500 or email us at psychology-childlab@uiowa.edu