George Mason Developing Minds Lab Research Assistant

This summer, I served as a research assistant in the Developing Minds Lab at George Mason University. The lab studies how children’s minds develop, with a primary focus on the development of executive function.

Working with lab director Sabine Doebel, I created a study to explore a positivity bias in three-through eight-year-old children. Given the restrictions around COVID-19, we transitioned the study to an online format in which children were presented with various auditory and visual stimuli, while parents helped them submit their reactions via Qualtrics (example below). I also created a series of cartoon-like videos that were part of a study about the intersection of social understanding and executive function.

This summer experience provided great insight into what a career in research would entail. I also learned about the open science movement and the importance of preregistering a study to work against the replication crisis in psychology. My favorite part of the summer was our lab Zoom meetings, where we discussed ongoing projects and solicited feedback from others in the lab. I am very grateful to Dr. Sabine Doebelfor this opportunity and her mentorship!