Investigating how babies' brains respond to familiar and unfamiliar racial backgrounds
The Malleability of Social Group Understanding in Infancy and Early Childhood
This study looks at how babies aged 7 to 12 months react in their brains to people from different racial backgrounds to see if their experiences with diversity affect their responses.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Enrollment | 100 (estimated) |
| Ages | 7 Months to 12 Months |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University of California Santa Cruz Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Santa Cruz, California) |
| Trial ID | NCT06550245 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This observational study at UC Santa Cruz aims to understand how typically developing infants' brain activities, measured through EEG, react to individuals from familiar versus unfamiliar racial groups. Infants aged 7 to 12 months will watch videos featuring people of different racial backgrounds while their brain responses are recorded. The study will also explore the relationship between infants' exposure to racial diversity in their environments and their brain activity patterns. Caregivers will provide demographic information and details about their social networks to aid in the analysis.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates for this study are typically developing infants aged 7 to 12 months who were born at or after 37 weeks of gestation.
Not a fit: Patients with known developmental delays or those born before 37 weeks of gestation may not benefit from this study.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this study could enhance our understanding of infant development and the impact of racial diversity on early social cognition.
How similar studies have performed: While studies on infant brain responses to social stimuli exist, this specific focus on racial background is relatively novel and has not been extensively tested.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * typically developing * age 7 to 12 months * at least 37 weeks gestation Exclusion Criteria: * any known developmental delays * less than 37 weeks gestation
Where this trial is running
Santa Cruz, California
- Social Science 2 Building — Santa Cruz, California, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Hyesung Hwang, PhD — University of California Santa Cruz
- Study coordinator: Seaera Juarez, BA
- Email: did.lab@ucsc.edu
- Phone: (831) 264-8155
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.