Oxford Babylab

This app is a research tool developed by the Oxford BabyLab at the University of Oxford to conduct research into language development in infancy with minimal need for face-to-face testing in the laboratory.

Since 1992, the Oxford BabyLab has been researching cognitive development in infancy using eye-tracking and electrophysiology measures. We now want to evaluate the feasibility of using tablet and mobile technology from inside your home to derive reliable measures of infant cognitive development. This first version of our app aims to validate tablet-based data collection against previous research into infant vocabulary development conducted in the lab using eye-tracking technology.

We have developed this study as an interactive game for you to complete with your child. Pairs of pictures of objects and animals will be presented on screen and your child will be asked to help our fun character Flora the Flower by tapping on the screen to select the picture she asks for. Some young toddlers might not be keen to tap the screen, but instead would point at the picture they select. In that case we would ask you to tap the screen accordingly on their behalf. If you help your child by tapping the screen for them it is very important that you tap the exact picture they point to, even if it is not the picture that Flora asks for. Not all words and objects may be known to your child and it is expected that some of their answers will be wrong. It is also expected that sometimes your child might not want to select any picture. In that case the app would automatically repeat the question once and then give your child another opportunity to select an answer before moving to the next pair of pictures.

The app has three parts: a practice session, a study session and a play session. We would like you to go through the practice part yourself first to familiarise with the game, then play the practice with your child and make sure they understand what the game is about. The practice session can be repeated if necessary. Once your child has done the practice session you can proceed to the study session. After you've completed the study with your child, if your child would like to keep playing, you can try out the play session, which you can access from the main menu. This will remain available as an interactive game.

One of the BabyLab team members will have contacted you with an ID code which will help store your child’s study session data correctly for us to analyse. You will need to enter the ID code that you were provided with in order to start. Remember to ensure that your device is connected to the Internet during the study session so data automatically upload at its completion. The practice and play sessions do not save or upload any data and the data from the study session is deleted from your device after uploading.

If during the study session you decide to withdraw from the study you can do so by tapping the exit button in the top right corner of any of the screens displaying Flora the Flower. You will be then prompted to choose whether you agree for partial data to be uploaded or you would prefer to delete the data entirely.

If you have any questions or comments about the app, please get in touch with us at babylab@psy.ox.ac.uk. We would be very keen to hear your feedback.

To find out more about research at Oxford BabyLab, please visit our website at https://www.psy.ox.ac.uk/research/oxford-babylab

Attribution listing for the audio and visual materials can be found at
https://www.psy.ox.ac.uk/research/oxford-babylab/research-overview/babylab-app-for-mobile-devices