Understanding how children learn categories through their visual experiences
Official title: Grounding models of category learning in the visual experiences of young children
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11171135 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how young kids learn to connect words with different things they see around them, and it’s for anyone interested in understanding how children develop their language skills through their visual experiences.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | September 12, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $245,304 |
| NIH project number | 4R00HD108386-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11171135 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for participation are children aged 0-11 years who are in the early stages of language acquisition.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are adults or those who are not in the early stages of language development may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how young children learn to associate words with categories by examining their visual experiences. It aims to collect data on the types of visual stimuli children encounter, such as different objects and their representations, to understand how these experiences influence their ability to learn words. By using deep neural networks, the research will analyze the relationship between children's visual experiences and their word learning outcomes, providing insights into cognitive development in early childhood.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could enhance educational strategies and tools for improving early language development in children.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that understanding visual experiences can significantly impact language learning, suggesting that this approach may yield valuable insights.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Long, Bria — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Long, Bria
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.