Child Emotion Research Lab

09/30/2026

Kids are recovering from the educational disruptions of the pandemic!

Just published! Six years after COVID-19 disrupted childhood around the world, new research following the same children from before the pandemic through today finds that the damage was far less widespread than early warnings predicted. These findings are featured in the Society for Research in Child Development's flagship journal, Child Development, in a Special Section on COVID-19 led by co-editors Anna D. Johnson (Georgetown University), Gabriela Livas (University of Texas, Austin), and Seth Pollak (University of Wisconsin-Madison).
https://academic.oup.com/chidev/article/97/5/1453/8763937
https://dralizapressman.substack.com/p/for-children-and-development-covid

09/14/2026

Calling all parents of 7-year-olds interested in helping with child development research!

The Child Emotion Lab at UW-Madison is looking for 7-year-olds to participate in a new study about how kids look at emotions. 😄

📍 Where: Our lab at the Waisman Center (across from UW Hospital) – free parking provided!
⏰ Time commitment: 1 hour
🎁 Thank-you gift: $25, plus a prize of your child’s choosing

👉 Sign up here: https://go.wisc.edu/7jolj0

Questions? Email [email protected] or call 608-890-2525 and ask for Andrea!

09/12/2026

📚 Does your child attend 5th grade? We’re looking for families!

The Child Emotion Lab at UW–Madison is studying how children learn from reading books, and we’re looking for 5th graders with all kinds of reading experiences and abilities.

What’s involved?
• 2 in-person visits
• Reading activities at home on your own schedule
• $50 for parents ($25 per session)
• 🎁 Your child chooses a prize
• Transportation costs covered

👉 Sign up: go.wisc.edu/k8o19i

Questions? Call 608-890-2525 and ask for Aditi.
https://childemotion.waisman.wisc.edu/current-studies/

08/22/2026

08/13/2026

The Child Emotion Lab is looking for families to help with a research project on how kids recognize emotions! 😊

Children ages 4–11 are invited. For 4-6 year olds the study takes about 30 minutes, and it is a little longer for older kids (but not more than a hour). Parents receive $25, and children get to choose a prize 🎁. We also pay for transportation.

Sign up here:
https://shorturl.at/eKJG4

Or call us 608-890-2525 ask for Saideeka!

https://childemotion.waisman.wisc.edu/current-studies/

08/10/2026

https://youtu.be/SyaKVJ2Ctsk The idea that children learn best when they feel secure may seem obvious, but new research from the University of Wisconsin–Madison shows just how deeply a child’s trust in their parents shapes their willingness to explore. Led by Child Emotion lab graduate student Lillian Xu, the study reveals that children who feel their parents are less reliable explore less – even when exploring is vital to learning and personal growth.

The idea that children learn best when they feel secure may seem ob...

08/08/2026

For families with infants and kids under 6, consider visiting our colleagues in the Infant Learning Lab!

Are you curious about how your child is learning language? We invite you to participate in a research study at the UW-Madison Infant Learning Lab (featured in the Netflix documentary “Babies”). Participation involves a single 30 min session at the Waisman Center, next to the UW Hospital (free parking provided). You will be with your child for the entire time. The visit is scheduled at your convenience. You will receive a thank-you gift or cash for participating. Sign up at https://data.infantlearning.waisman.wisc.edu/infantdb/enroll/ or learn more about us at https://infantlearning.waisman.wisc.edu/

08/08/2026

The Child Emotion Lab at UW-Madison is looking for families to help with a research project. Kids aged 10-13 are invited to do a 1-hour study involving computer games. You can visit when you’d like and we pay for transportation. Parents get $25 and children receive prizes. 😄
Sign up online here: https://shorturl.at/Pxflw

Or contact us by phone 608-890-2525 or email: [email protected]

https://childemotion.waisman.wisc.edu/current-studies/

09/04/2024

Children Helping Science!

10-13 boys and girls are needed to help with a child development study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison!
Kids play a simple computer game to help us understand how they make good decisions.

Kids participate from home at any time (no appointments!) and receive a $20 Amazon gift card.

https://uwmadison.co1.qualtrics.com/.../SV_02OVEfL9RAeMwVo

Or email us at [email protected]

08/19/2024

We are so proud of our summer research interns, Kylene and Christine for the excellent work they did this summer - helping us to increase scientific understanding of healthy emotional and social development in children!