UBC Early Development Research Group

02/03/2026

Meet Nicole!

She is a third-year Psychology student who recently joined the EDRG as a research assistant. Her research interests include understanding how to support the growth and mental health of children, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds. Outside the lab, Nicole enjoys bouldering, cooking, and exploring nice cafes in Vancouver!

02/03/2026

📚 Research shows that infants are sensitive to social exclusion, which may negatively impact emotional well-being and social development.

Key Insights
🎯 Babies understand social cues and dynamics at just 13 months old, which is earlier than previously thought.

💔 Social exclusion negatively impacts self-esteem, emotional regulation, and the ability to develop healthy relationships.

🔍 Ostracism can have physical signs, such as babies crying, becoming fussy, and seeking attention.

💡 Sensitivity to exclusions sets the foundation for developing later social behaviors, as children learn during social interactions!

Takeaway
✨️ Creating a sense of belonging for children is important to develop their social skills, empathy, and resilience as they grow older!

Text adapted from the Child and Family Blog

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01/30/2026

Are you an undergraduate or recent graduate looking for experience as a Research Assistant?

UBC’s Early Development Research Group is looking to hire Research Assistants for the main office!

📝 How to Apply:

1️⃣ Visit our Linktree (link in bio) → click “Volunteer with Us!” to apply!

2️⃣ Submit your application to earlydev@psych.ubc.ca.

3️⃣ Applications close on Wednesday, February 4 at 5:00PM PST and will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

4️⃣ Ideal applicants should be ready to start ASAP.

5️⃣ The commitment for this role is 8 hours / week for 2 terms (until August 2026).

🔗 Visit our Linktree (link in bio) to learn

01/27/2026

Meet Madeleine!

She is a 4th year psychology major with a minor in family studies and recently joined the EDRG as a research assistant at the Centre for Infant Cognition. She is very interested in developmental psychology and is working on the longitudinal study at the lab! Outside of the lab, you can find her figure skating, ballroom dancing or taking part in the many other extracurricular activities she is involved in 😊

01/26/2026

🧠 Infants are incredible natural language learners. They use a few key strategies to help them translate sound into language! Researchers have found a variety of techniques infants use in conversation with adults that help train their brains for future language development

Key Insights
👂 Infants respond strongly to baby talk in part because it engages their brain’s audio processing and speech production areas.

🔊 The clear and distinct sounds and rhythms of baby talk help them process the specific sounds of their language and improve their ability to focus on specific word formulations and tone.

👩‍👦 Adults responding to the vocal sounds and gestures can help infants develop the part of the brain needed to understand and produce language.

🧠 Babies’ brains work as language sponges, and exposure to a wide variety of vocabulary prepares their brains to pick up more words later as well as enhances overall cognitive flexibility.

Takeaway
✨️ Infants are purposely built for language development, and fostering environments rich in language exposure can help boost their language development and equip them for later literacy and communication skill building! 🌟🎶🗣

Text adapted from Zero to Three



Link to the article: https://www.zerotothree.org/resource/how-do-infants-translate-sounds-to-language/

01/26/2026

🧸Do you have a little one between 0 to 14 years old?🎈

The UBC Early Development Research Group (EDRG) has MANY fun developmental studies that you and your little one can participate in!🍀

We have both in-person and online studies, so whether you want to visit our beautiful UBC campus or join in on the fun from the comfort of your home, we have a perfect option for you!⭐️

👉Interested in joining our studies? Sign up here: https://edrg.psych.ubc.ca/typical-visit/sign-up-online/

By submitting this form, you consent to have the information you provided stored on a UBC-hosted server, which is governed by the Centre for Teaching, Learning & Technology’s CMS Terms of Service: https://cms.ubc.ca/about/terms-of-service.

01/20/2026

Meet Angelia!

Angelia is a recent UBC Behavioural Neuroscience graduate, and has been a research assistant with the Centre for Cognitive Development since fall 2024. In the lab, she runs studies exploring how children implicitly encode numbers and how expectations shape number perception from an early age. Outside the lab, she enjoys watching horror movies, drinking hojicha, and a ca****la music 😊

01/20/2026

📚 Research shows that reading together with children is a fun way to increase children’s motivation to read and vocabulary development.

Key Insights

🎓 Reading aloud to young children who can’t read on their own yet increases their motivation to read in the future, which may predict higher levels of education in adulthood.

📖 Reading together enhances vocabulary development in both younger and older children, as adults can select long and complex stories.

🏠 Older children aged between 6-10 years old want to be read to because it serves as quality time with caregivers.

💡 Older children gain vocabulary benefits from shared reading if they can follow along with the text, have few interruptions, and have a discussion at the end.

Takeaway
✨ Reading aloud to children even if they know how to read on their own, is a bonding experience that can benefit language development!

Text adapted from the Child and Family Blog

01/13/2026

This year, the EDRG Main Office's team social was a fun and frantic bowling night! 🎳

The event was organized by our team coordinator Hayley and everyone scored big points after shaking off a bit of rust! It was a great time and the team enjoyed the opportunity to meet and share in the fun, laughter, and competition! 🎉

01/09/2026

Fun Fact!

💬Did you know that playing group sports may help children deal with emotional problems and worries?

📚Research shows that when children participate in group sports, their minds may feel happier and healthier – potentially helping them deal with emotions such as sadness and anxiety.

🤾‍♀️Group sports help children feel connected with others, which has been associated with reduced emotional problems.

⛹️‍♀️Being physically active may help neurons in the brain work together, which strengthens the brain’s capabilities of dealing with a variety of tasks including emotional regulation.

🤽‍♂️Sports have been linked to a boost in self esteem, which is a quality that can enrich many aspects of a child’s life – specifically, their ability to regulate their emotions and mood.

Sports are a fun way for children to connect with others, get outside, and stay physically active! Best of all, the benefits extend for even longer than the game⚾️🏒🏈

Text adapted from Frontiers for Young Minds website

01/06/2026

🧠 When making choices about when to be patient, many children take cues from their physical and social environments to help them decide when to wait, what to wait for, and for how long. Researchers suggest that when children believe their environment and peers are reliable and trustworthy, they are more likely to want to wait and delay gratification for later.

Key Insights
🎯 Consistent rules and boundaries let kids know what they can expect from their environment

🎖 Children who see adults and peers be rewarded for their patience are more likely to want to wait themselves

👩🏻‍🤝‍🧑🏻 Cooperation makes waiting easier! Waiting with partners tends to increase patience

The Takeaway
✨️ While waiting can take a lot of willpower from young children, having trust that their environment is consistent and trustworthy and believing their patience can be rewarded is a strong incentive for encouraging patience and delayed gratification in kids. 🌟🎉🧘‍♂️

Text adapted from Parenting Science by Dr. Gwen Dewar

12/03/2025

The Centre for Cognitive Development, directed by Dr. Darko Odic, investigated how different kinds of instructions affect exploratory behaviours in young children. 🔎

Participants were given an iPad application resembling a toy with many distinct functions and features (e.g., a button that emits a light). 🧸

Children received either vague or specific instructions on how to interact with the toy. 📋

Researchers found that the children who received vague instructions played with the application for longer and discovered more features than those who received more specific instructions.

These findings suggest the effect of instruction type on positive learning outcomes and exploratory behaviour. 💡

Text adapted from the 2024 EDRG Newsletter