Northern Illinois University
Emotion Regulation and Temperament Laboratory
Department of Psychology

A Brief Message to Current and Future Research Participants

We greatly appreciate the importance of the contributions made by those who have or will in the future participate in the ongoing research efforts within the Emotion Regulation and Temperament Lab at NIU. Each participant makes an important contribution to the growing body of scientific knowledge in the areas of investigation represented in the lab. In addition to the contribution to science, the lab is an important training site for graduate and undergraduate students enrolled at NIU. Your participation allows trainees to receive a very high quality experience that will allow them to develop as independent investigators and go on to careers or other educational settings and make further contributions to our field of study. In short, our work would not be possible without your contribution.

Thank you!

Future Participants

How do I sign up if I am not currently participating in a project?

If you are interested in participating, please contact us:

Phone: 815-753-7229
Email: emotionreg@niu.edu

Projects are ongoing and it is likely that you will be able to participate either immediately or in the near future. We look forward to hearing from you!

Benefits of Participation

Projects within the Emotion Regulation and Temperament Lab frequently, directly benefit research participants. For example, for many projects, research participants are paid or compensated in some form for their time. Furthermore, in the past, many parents have made the observation that they have learned a great deal about their children as a result of their participation.

Current Participants

What you can expect?

Before your visit, you will be contacted for scheduling and will be provided with parking instructions and directions to the Emotion Regulation & Temperament Laboratory. We want to make your visit as convenient as possible. As such, we will work closely with you to accommodate your schedule. For participants with infants who will also be participating, please let us know if you need assistance making your way from your car to the lab as we would be happy to have someone meet you in the parking area. If you have other children and need assistance with child care during your visit, we will be happy to provide such care. Please let us know in advance if you will be bringing older children with you during your scheduled visit so that we can make arrangements for additional personnel to be present. Finally, let us know of any special accommodations that you may need. We have cold storage onsite (i.e. a refrigerator), a microwave, and a changing area that can be used as needed. When you are contacted for scheduling purposes, feel free to let us know if we can have hot coffee, tea, or hot chocolate prepared for you during your visit.

Although visits will vary somewhat depending on the age of your children or the specific research questions to be addressed, there are some commonalities. For most visits you will likely be asked to complete some questionnaires either before your visit to the lab or during you lab visit. During your lab visit, you and/or your child will participate in activities that many infants and caregivers find fun and exciting (e.g., exploration of toys, bubble play, etc.).

We understand that things may come up that prevent you from attending a scheduled appointment (e.g., you or your child becomes sick, there is a family emergency, or car trouble) at the last minute. If such an event occurs, please contact us as soon as possible so that we may 1) reschedule your appointment and 2) potentially schedule other research participants in your place.

All of the personnel in the Emotion Regulation & Temperament Lab are highly trained, many have a great deal of experience with children and families, and some have children of their own. We will ensure that your visit is an enjoyable experience.

If you have questions, comments, suggestions, or concerns before, during or after you participate, please let us know and we will address your inquiries in a timely manner.

Phone: 815-753-7229
Email: emotionreg@niu.edu

Why more than one visit?

One of the primary goals of many of the projects conducted within the Emotion Regulation & Temperament Lab is to better understand how young children grow, develop, and change over relatively short periods of time. To meet this goal, research participation frequently involves more than one or two visits to the Emotion Regulation & Temperament Lab. Because growth and development is so rapid, especially early in life, there is usually only a small window (one to two weeks) during which a particular visit optimally occurs. The approach to understanding change and development in the lab is relatively unique and is not currently being widely used, but offers a very powerful tool to understanding early childhood development. This means that there is great potential for research within the Emotion Regulation & Temperament Lab to have a distinct impact on what is known about early development.   

What should you do if you move?

Due to our goal of learning more about early development, it is important to retain as many people in our studies as possible over time. If you are moving, but would still be interested in participating, this is possible, albeit in a slightly different manner. We would be happy to mail you questionnaire portions of the study in which you are involved and provide return postage. Even this contribution would be highly important. Before you move, please be sure to contact us with your new address and any changes in your contact information.