We appreciate your interest in our work! We are always looking for families in the greater Toronto area who are interested in participating in our research. If you would like to be contacted about participating in our projects now or in the future, please email us at dcclab@uoit.ca, call us at (905) 721-8668, ext. 3841, or visit our Contact Us page.

What do you do?

The Development, Context, and Communication (DCC) Lab at Ontario Tech University is dedicated to understanding children’s and adolescents’ cognitive and social development. We study such topics as children’s memory development, how context and experience shape children’s views about the world and others, and how people share their experiences with others. There are several exciting ongoing projects, and we are always developing new ones! Our studies are usually designed for children between the ages of 4 and 17. Studies might involve playing games, listening to stories, or answering questions about participating in fun events with research assistants. Sometimes, parents fill out questionnaires or answer questions about their child.

The DCC Lab is supervised by Dr. Lindsay Malloy. She has been conducting research on child development for over 15 years. Dr. Malloy works with dedicated graduate students on many of the projects. All projects have been approved by the university’s Research Ethics Board. We publish the results of our research in scientific journals and books. Also, we provide useful information about child development to professionals (for example, teachers, social workers) who work with children every day.

Are there benefits to participating?

All projects are designed to be fun for children and teens, and they typically receive a small prize for helping out! Sometimes, we are also able to compensate families for participating with gift cards. Studies are designed to be interesting for parents, and they typically enjoy contributing to science in this way. And, of course, we get to learn about children’s thoughts, perceptions, and behaviours!

How can I participate?

We are happy to arrange visits at times that are convenient for you. If you are interested in learning more about our ongoing projects, as well as future ones, please Contact Us. We will get in touch with you to explain our projects, and you can then let us know if you and your child would like to participate. You can also email us at dcclab@uoit.ca or call us at (905) 721-8668, ext. 3841.

Our sincere thanks

Without the help of families like yours, we could not conduct exciting projects that contribute to science and the lives of children! Thank you so much for your interest in our work! We look forward to hearing from you.