OUR RESEARCH

Studies at the ICDL explore how infants learn about their world. For example some of our research is focused on learning how infants begin to identify new forms of information as important and how development in multiple areas contribute to the emergence of basic cognitive abilities.

Many of our studies use toys and other objects. We want to know how babies process object information and how they remember and reason about objects. The ability to process object information is fundamental to successful living. Most studies determine what babies or toddlers do naturally by watching how they interact with toys. Sometimes we observe children's behavior when they watch objects moving. Other studies may involve senses other than vision, like touch, hearing, smell, or taste using edible "objects".

If we can answer questions about typical development, we can identify developmental milestones, assess atypical development, and establish early and effective interventions when things go wrong. By participating in our studies, parents and their children help us accomplish these goals.

S E L E C T  P U B L I C A T I O N S

Boe, J. L., & Woods, R. J. (2018). Parents’ influence on infants’ gender-typed toy preferences. Sex Roles, 79, 358-373. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-017-0858-4
Johnson, K. M., & Woods, R. J. (2016). Give Me a Hand: Adult Involvement During Object Exploration Affects Object Individuation in Infancy. Infant & Child Development, 25(5), 406-425. doi:10.1002/icd.1942
Balas, B. & Woods, R. J. (2014). Infant preference for natural texture statistics is modulated by contrast polarity. Infancy, 19, 262-280. doi: 10.1111/infa.12050
Woods, R. J., & Schuler, J. (2014). Experience with malleable objects influences shape-based object individuation by infants. Infant Behavior and Development, 37, 178-186. doi: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2014.01.005
Woods , R.J., & Wilcox, T. (2013). Posture support improves object individuation in infants. Developmental Psychology, 49, 1413-1424. doi: 10.1037/a0030344
Woods, R., & Wilcox, T. (2010). Co-variation of color and luminance facilitate object individuation in infancy. Developmental Psychology, 46, 681-690
Woods, R. J., Wilcox, T. Armstrong, J. & Alexander, G. (2010). Infants' representations of three-dimensional occluded objects. Infant Behavior & Development, 33, 663-671.
Alexander, G. M., Wilcox, T., & Woods, R. (2009). Sex differences in infants' visual interest in toys. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 38, 427-433.
Wilcox, T., Bortfeld, H., Woods, R., Wruck, E., Armstrong, J., & Boas, D. (2009). Hemodynamic changes in the infant cortex during the processing of featural and spatiotemporal information. Neuropsychologia, 47, 657-662.
Wilcox, T., & Woods, R. (2009). Experience primes infants to individuate objects: Illuminating learning mechanisms. In A. Needham & A. Woodward (Eds.), Learning and the Infant Mind (pp. 117-143). NY: Oxford University Press.
Wilcox, T., Woods, R., & Chapa, C. (2008). Color-function categories that prime infants to use color information in an object individuation task. Cognitive Psychology, 57(3), 220-261.
Wilcox, T., Bortfeld, H., Woods, R., Wruck, E., & Boas, D. (2008). Hemodynamic response to featural changes in the occipital and inferior temporal cortex in infants: a preliminary methodological exploration. Developmental Science, 11(3), 361-370.
Wilcox, T., Woods, R., Chapa, C., & McCurry, S. (2007). Multisensory exploration and object individuation in infancy. Developmental Psychology, 43, 479-495.
Woods, R. J., & Wilcox, T. (2006). Infants' ability to use luminance information to individuate objects. Cognition, 99, B31-B40.
Wilcox, T., Woods, R., Tuggy, L., & Napoli, R. (2006). Shake, rattle, and… one or two objects? Infants' use of sound information to individuate objects. Infancy, 9, 97-123.
North Dakota State University | Human Development and Family Science Department
Mailing Address:  NDSU Department 2615 | PO Box 6050 | Fargo, ND 58108-6050
701-231-8268 | www.ndsu.edu/hdfs