Understanding how young children think about the future
Official title: Episodic Future Thinking in Early Childhood: Neural and Behavioral Indices of Memory and Planning
Funded at University of Massachusetts Boston · NIH-11124358 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how kids aged 3 to 4 use their memories to think about and plan for things that might happen in the future, helping us understand how their thinking skills grow as they get older.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R15 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Massachusetts Boston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | April 14, 2025 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $571,311 |
| NIH project number | 1R15HD118566-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11124358 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are children aged 3 to 4 years old who are developing their memory and planning skills.
✕Less likely to help
Children outside the age range of 3 to 4 years old may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how children aged 3 to 4 years old use their memories to imagine and plan for future events, a skill known as episodic future thinking (EFT). The study will measure how well children can retrieve memories and plan for future scenarios using techniques like EEG and eye tracking. By examining these processes, researchers aim to identify how EFT develops over time and the brain regions involved in this ability. The findings could provide insights into the cognitive development of young children and how they learn to plan.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could enhance our understanding of cognitive development in early childhood, potentially leading to improved educational strategies.
How similar studies have gone: While the specific focus on EFT in early childhood is relatively novel, related research has shown success in understanding cognitive development in older children and adults.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Massachusetts Boston
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Blankenship, Tashauna — University of Massachusetts Boston
- Study coordinator: Blankenship, Tashauna
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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.