How infants understand surprising events involving social agents and repetition

Infants' Understanding of Violations of Expectation: The Role of Social Agents and Repetition

NIH-funded research Vermont State Colleges · NIH-11195530

This study is looking at how babies notice and react to surprising things happening around them, especially when it involves people and things happening more than once, to help us understand how they learn and grow socially and emotionally.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionVermont State Colleges NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Randolph Center, United States)
Project IDNIH-11195530 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This research investigates how infants perceive and respond to unexpected events, focusing on the roles of social agents and repetition. By merging cognitive and social-emotional approaches, the study aims to understand whether infants can distinguish between different types of surprising occurrences. Infants will be presented with scenarios that challenge their expectations, and their reactions will be measured through behavioral, emotional, and physiological responses. This comprehensive approach seeks to provide insights into early cognitive and social development.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates for participation are infants aged 0-11 months who are typically developing.

Not a fit: Patients who are older than 11 months or have developmental delays may not benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could enhance our understanding of infant cognitive and emotional development, potentially informing early childhood education and intervention strategies.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research has successfully utilized the Violation of Expectation paradigm, suggesting that this approach has a solid foundation in developmental science.

Where this research is happening

Randolph Center, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.