Participate in Research Studies!
Research at the UM Living Lab
The UM Living Lab hosts 91短视频 research teams to bring their research studies to the community at the Missoula Public Library. We have a resident lab -- the UM Minds Lab -- a developmental psychology research group which conducts studies with children. We also host guest research teams for studies with a wide-range of people.
Interested in Participating?
Are you interested in being contacted about opportunities for your child/children (ages 3 years and older) to participate in our research studies?
Our studies with kids involve games, play, and questions – which both kids and their observing parents find enjoyable! Our participants receive a certificate and a small thank you gift for helping with our research.When you sign up, we will let you know if any of your children are eligible for a current study and you can sign up for a session right away. If your children are not currently eligible, we will contact you when they are eligible to see if you (and they) are interested in participating. Of course, there's no obligation and you can decide at that time if it is of interest to you and your child.
Current Studies for Kids
Inviting kids 9-10 years for a new study!
Learning from People and Technology
How do people learn from other people versus technologies?
Who: 9-10 year olds
What: Researchers from the will be exploring how kids learn from people and smart technologies. We are interested in trying to better understand who (or what) children prefer to learn from, and if their learning preferences depend on the type of information.
Where: UM Living Lab @ Missoula Public Library
When: Saturdays 10am-5pm (May 31-August 2) and Thursdays and Fridays 3-6pm (May 29-June 14), Thursdays 11am-3pm (June 26 - August 7).
How: Walk in or for a session for your child to participate.
Current Studies for Adults
PT Group Towel Folding Test
How are activity of daily living metrics related?
Who: Adults 18-89 years
What: Lend a hand to physical therapy research! Adults (ages 18-89) can try a fun new task designed to measure how well people can complete everyday household tasks. No appointment needed – just walk in!
Where: UM Living Lab @ Missoula Public Library
When: Wednesdays June 4 to July 30 from 1-6pm
How: Walk-in sessions
Past Studies at the UM Living Lab
CAFÉ Move
Dr. Andy Kittleson
How does your body respond to various tasks?
Researchers associated with Café Move are eager to help adults understand physical health, on their own terms. Café Move offers 3 simple activity measures of physical health: strength, mobility, and balance. People can use these measures to obtain personalized reports of performance, based age, height, and gender. Their hope is that people will engage with these measures, and use their results to develop their own best plans for physical health, in consultation with healthcare providers
The Biology of Sociality and Stress (BOSS) Lab
Dr. Stephanie Dimitroff
How does the body respond to attraction?
Researchers from the conducted a speed dating study involving adults of various age ranges within five events held in the Missoula Public Library in order to explore how romantic connections are made and how human bodies respond to attraction. This study explored "physiological synchrony at the level of the heart, and other biological parameters, are related to mutual likeability and attraction between strangers." They plan to do a 6-month follow up study to determine if any of the 65 speed dating matches become romantic partnerships. Find more about the study .
Current topics the BOSS lab is researching include: physiological synchrony, interoception, immune system, HPA axis, autonomic nervous system, stress, relaxation, attraction, likeability
Humans + Robots Morality Study
Dr. Rachel Severson and Tom Macko
Do children think an autonomous or remote-controlled robot is responsible for its actions?
Researchers from the research team explored whether children think a robot dog is responsible for its harmful actions. Does it matter whether the robot dog is autonomous or remote-controlled? More generally, how do children think about robot dog that is autonomous or remote controlled? How do children's judgements compare to their thinking about people?
Intentions + Culpability
Dr. Rachel Severson
How do children understand one's intentions and their responsibility for their actions?
Researchers from the explored 3- to 5-year-olds' understanding of doing things 'on purpose' versus 'by accident' and how that understanding relates to one's responsibility for their actions. For example, think about the difference between knocking over a glass of water by accident or on purpose -- people tend to judge the latter more harshly! In this study, the Minds Lab team is expanding our understanding of the link between intentions and culpability by probing children's thinking when the agent is a person or a social robot.
Sharing + Learning with People and Technology
Dr. Rachel Severson and Sarah Sweezy
How do learn from and share with people versus technologies?
Researchers from the explored how 5-6-year-olds learn and share with people and technologies, like social robots and smart speakers. We are interested in whether moving in sync with another (like clapping) affects how children think about and share with others. We are also trying to better understand who (or what) children prefer to learn from, and if their learning preferences depend on the type of information.