Child and Adolescent Development at Queen's University

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Child and Adolescent Development at Queen's University

Please reach out if you are interested in participating in some of our studies!

We are a team of students and professors at Queen's University studying how infants, children, and adolescents grow, learn, and come to interact successfully in the world. The Child and Adolescent Development Group consists of a team of researchers (graduate students, undergraduates students and volunteers) who are interested in how infants, children, and adolescents reason about the people and th

e world around them. We are interested in many aspects of development, including:

• How infants interpret other people's behaviour
• How children learn language so quickly
• How children tell fact from fiction
• How children with autism learn about the world
• How stress affects adolescents

Participants in our studies are parent and child volunteers in the Kingston community (or outside of Kingston, for online studies) who graciously offer their time to help us conduct our studies. Visits vary between 20 to 60 minutes (shorter visits for younger age groups) and can be scheduled during weekdays, evenings or even weekends! All of our studies are interactive and play based, to ensure children have a fun and exciting visit with us! If you are interested in participating, simply contact us by email or phone to learn more about our research and get updates on age ranges currently being recruited.

02/19/2026

January (sometimes affectionately called “Quitter’s Month”) is behind us 😅✨ New Year’s resolutions may fade, but what if we start thinking about goal-setting differently?

🌱 Developmental science shows that goals work best when they’re flexible, focused on growth (loving the journey, not just the finish line), and built together, especially for children.

Swipe/read on for evidence-based insights on how collaborative goals and a growth mindset can support motivation, learning, and wellbeing for kids (and adults)! 💛🧠

Hashtags:
LifelongLearning

Works cited:
1. Smiley, P.A. and Dweck, C.S. (1994), Individual Differences in Achievement Goals among Young Children. Child Development, 65: 1723-1743. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.1994.tb00845.x
2. Hutchins, N., Jirout, J. (2026). Understanding Motivation in Early Childhood: Disentangling the Links Among Curiosity, Mindset, and Goals. Behavioral Sciences, 16(1), 54. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs16010054
3. Costa, U. M., Brauchle, G., & Kennedy-Behr, A. (2017). Collaborative goal setting with and for children as part of therapeutic intervention. Disability and Rehabilitation, 39(16), 1589–1600. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2016.1202334

12/18/2025

2025 has been a great year, and we wish everyone an awesome 2026! Check out our year in research “wrapped” 😄

11/24/2025

Who Are We? Swipe to learn more about the developmental psychology research done at , our lab directors and of course - our lab profiles here in Instagram!

11/10/2025

📢 Exciting news! The Adolescent Dynamics Lab is back with a brand new study!

Introducing the PANDA Study 🐼 which stands for Parents and Adolescents Navigating the Digital Age!

We’re inviting teens ages 10–14 and one of their parents to participate. This is a 4-year long study where our team is exploring how parents and teens feel about, talk about, and engage with their digital experiences, from social media and videogames to texting and even AI. We’re especially interested in how these things evolve across adolescent development.

🗓️ Participation Schedule:
Year 1: 2-hour visit at our lab at Queen’s (Kingston, ON)
Year 2: Fully remote (online)
Year 3: 2-hour visit at our lab at Queen’s (Kingston, ON)
Year 4: Fully remote (online)

✨ What’s involved? During the lab visits, you’ll complete a few questionnaires, take part in discussions together about digital technologies while we monitor your heart rate and skin perspiration from your fingertips, watch a few short videos, and get set up for the app portion of the study where you can answer some super quick questions throughout your day. This let’s us get a sense of how you’re feeling in the moment.

💰 Participants will be compensated for their time. This year, families can earn up to $152 for completing all parts of the study. See post for other payment details.

Interested? Please contact the Adolescent Dynamics Lab Coordinator at 📧[email protected] for more info.

10/30/2025

Trick or treat… and train your memory! 🧠

Our memory game is here just in time for Halloween!
Your family can flip, match, and practice their attention skills featuring some spooky (but cute!) characters 🦇👻

Download the FREE game through the link in our bio!
Perfect for parents, teachers, and little scientists in training.
Learn something cool from our booklet about memory and attention while you play!
If you print and play, tag us in the picture!

wishes you a happy Halloween! 🎃🍬

10/28/2025

October is ADHD Awareness Month 🎗️🧡

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that can affect attention, impulsivity, emotional regulation, and daily routines. With the right support, children with ADHD can thrive at home, school, and beyond.✨
If you’re a caregiver wanting to learn more, here are trusted resources:

🔹 CADDAC (Centre for ADHD Awareness) - Canadian advocacy, parent support & practical tools
🔹 CHEO (Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario) - ADHD resource hub for parents and youth.

Let’s celebrate strengths, boost understanding, and make sure families feel supported 🧠

Post in collaboration with

References
Peterson et al. (2024). Treatments for ADHD in children and adolescents: A systematic review. Pediatrics, 153(4), e2024065787. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2024-065787
Santos da Silva et al. (2023). An overview on neurobiology and therapeutics of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Discover Mental Health, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44192-022-00030-1
Kumara et al. (2024). A review on ADHD disorder, diagnosis and therapeutic approach in children and adolescents. Brain-Apparatus Communication: A Journal of Bacomics. https://doi.org/10.1080/27706710.2024.2400070

10/22/2025

Did you know that the Queen’s Child and Adolescent Development Group has a trusted database of over 4000 families interested in hearing about our ongoing studies? Families can sign up to hear more about projects their child could be eligible to participate in, allowing kids to contribute to science. Check out this post to learn more about how you and your child can get involved! 🧠✨

By joining our database, you’ll receive occasional emails or phone calls about new available studies. Participation is always voluntary, and families can choose which studies they’d like to take part in — whether online or on campus at Queen’s University. It’s a great way to support developmental science!

📩 Interested? Sign up through the link in our bio or visit our website to join the database today.

10/13/2025

It’s thanksgiving season, so let’s consider gratitude!

Gratitude isn’t just saying “thank you”, it’s a skill that develops over time.

Research shows that gratitude acts like a well-being booster, helping kids notice good things, appreciate others, and cope with challenges. But it doesn’t appear overnight. It develops as children start understanding intentions and empathy.

👧 Ages 3–5: Gratitude is simple, directed toward things you can see and touch, like “I’m thankful for my toy.”
🧒 Ages 6–8: Children start seeing why people are kind, for example “She shared her candy with me because she’s nice.”
👦 Ages 9+: Gratitude becomes relational and more complex, like “I’m thankful my family supports me.”

When children practice gratitude — even in small ways — they build stronger relationships, regulate emotions better, and feel more connected. 🧠💫

That’s the science of Thanksgiving! 🍂
A post collab with

References
Wood, A. M., Froh, J. J., & Geraghty, A. W. (2010). Gratitude and well-being: A review and theoretical integration. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(7), 890–905.
Froh, J. J., Bono, G., & Emmons, R. A. (2010). Being grateful is beyond good manners: Gratitude and motivation to contribute to society among early adolescents. Motivation and Emotion, 34(2), 144–157.
Freitas, L. B. L., Pieta, M. A. M., & Tudge, J. (2011). The development of gratitude in children and adolescents. Psychology, 2, 1110–1118.

09/09/2025

👋 Hello to both our longtime friends and new visitors!
Welcome to the Child & Adolescent Development Group at Queen’s University. We’re a dedicated team of professors and students, excited about understanding how children and teens grow, learn, and connect with the world around them.

🧠 Explore how young minds develop
🔍 Discover insights from our research
📚 Find family-friendly resources and opportunities to get involved

We’re so glad you’re here—let’s learn and grow together! 🌱

08/08/2025

This Saturday, Aug. 10th from 10AM-2PM, come hang out with us at Kingston's Teddy Bear Party! 🧸🎉 We're looking forward to a fun-filled day with our community! Secure your tickets now!

05/16/2025

This past weekend, the Queen’s Child and Adolescent Development Group set up a booth at Science Rendezvous 🧠🔬🧬 where we were able to chat science with members of the community! We invited children and their families to come “Think Like a Scientist” and participate in our various science activities. Using our iMotions software, young scientists 👩‍🔬 were able to measure features of their emotional expression. Our other activities included having children come up with a research question and hypothesis to figure out what food to feed our cat, participate in fun optical illusions, and play with brain models!

Watch this video to find out more! Make sure to come visit us next year at this fantastic event. Thank you Science Rendezvous for hosting us!

Address

Humphrey Hall, Psychology Department, Queen's University, 62 Arch Street
Kingston, ON
K7L3N6

Website

https://www.queensu.ca/psychology/devstudies

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