Researchers in Uppsala want to find out what best benefits children’s development.
In order to get general answers, they are now looking for 1,000 babies, with different backgrounds, who they can follow – for 16 years, Upsala Nya Tidning writes.
Between six months and one year of age, the children will undergo measurements with an eye movement camera while watching a screen with pictures and videos on it. It will give the researchers data on, for example, early language comprehension, social and cognitive development, attention level and how the children process information.
The parents will periodically have to answer questions about the family’s everyday life and habits. And when the child is older, the researchers will be able to take part in information from the children’s welfare center (BVC). Grades will also be obtained from the school.
– We want to include children from all social groups. The only thing that is required is that the child must see what is presented on the screen, hear the sound, and that a guardian knows Swedish, says Pär Nyström, researcher at the Department of Psychology and active at Uppsala University’s child and baby lab.