Design Choices in the Infant Habituation Paradigm: A Pre-registered Crowd-Sourced Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Zaharieva, Martina; Kucharský, Šimon; Colonnesi, Cristina; Gu, Tongyu; Jo, Soobin; Luttenbacher, Ines; Mannsdörfer, Lilli; Matetovici, Magda; Urte,; Raijmakers, Maartje E. J.; Staaks, Janneke; Torma, Zoltan Adam; Visser, Ingmar

doi:10.31234/osf.io/bdtx9

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…The workflow was validated specifically for one VoE experiment, and we do not test the importance of specific features of this context. For example, there is an ongoing debate about the importance of controlling exposure in the familiarization period of VoE experiments and/or of fully habituating infants (Kucharský et al, 2022;Zaharieva et al, 2021). In the automated paradigm, all infants saw six trials, whereas in-lab infants watched up to nine trials until habituated (looking time reduced by half).…”

Section: Hands-off Workflow For Looking Time Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An asynchronous, hands-off workflow for looking time experiments with infants.

Raz,

Piccolo,

Medrano

et al. 2024

Developmental Psychology

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The study of infant gaze has long been a key tool for understanding the developing mind. However, labor-intensive data collection and processing limit the speed at which this understanding can be advanced. Here, we demonstrate an asynchronous workflow for conducting violation-of-expectation (VoE) experiments, which is fully "hands-off" for the experimenter. We first replicate four classic VoE experiments in a synchronous online setting, and show that VoE can generate highly replicable effects through remote testing. We then confirm the accuracy of a state-of-the-art gaze annotation software, iCatcher+ in a new setting. Third, we train parents to control the experiment flow based on the infant's gaze. Combining all three innovations, we then conduct an asynchronous automated infant-contingent VoE experiment. The hands-off workflow successfully replicates a classic VoE effect: infants look longer at inefficient actions than efficient ones. We compare the resulting effect size and statistical power to the same study run in-lab and synchronously via Zoom. The hands-off workflow significantly reduces the marginal cost and time per participant, enabling larger sample sizes. By enhancing the reproducibility and robustness of findings relying on infant looking, this workflow could help support a cumulative science of infant cognition. Tools to implement the workflow are openly available. Public Significance StatementInfant looking time experiments have provided critical insights into early cognition, but traditionally very time-consuming and expensive. We run a classical violation-of-expectation experiment through a workflow in which data collection and analysis are automated and compare the results to the same study run in the lab and on Zoom. The automated workflow shows a small reduction in effect size and power, while allowing for significantly larger sample sizes, thereby enabling a more robust developmental science.

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Section: Hands-off Workflow For Looking Time Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An asynchronous, hands-off workflow for looking time experiments with infants.

Raz,

Piccolo,

Medrano

et al. 2024

Developmental Psychology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Probably the most prevalent "initial 3-3-50%" criterion is one where 50% of the mean across the initial three trials is compared to the mean of the three most recent trials (Oakes, 2010), although variations of the settings of the criteria vary across the literature (e.g., Domsch et al, 2009;Flom & Pick, 2012). An ongoing systematic review of the existing literature will quantify the size of this variation (Zaharieva, 2021).…”

Section: Habituation As a Toolmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habituation, part II. Rethinking the habituation paradigm

Kucharský

Zaharieva

Raijmakers

et al. 2022

Infant and Child Development

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The habituation paradigm has been applied to study the development of memory, perception, and other cognitive processes in preverbal infants, making it one of the most prominent experimental paradigms in infant research. However, there are many features of the process of habituation that remain elusive, which results in uncertainty about the best research practices. This article first discusses current practices in habituation research (e.g., the use of habituation criteria) in relation to modelling the process of habituation, revealing several issues that impede progress in the field. To overcome these challenges, we propose to move towards a modelling framework to study critical features of the habituation process. To facilitate this transition, alternative experimental designs are proposed. The article encourages clearer thinking about the process of habituation, such that the theory, design, and analysis are all in line with each other. The article concludes with concrete recommendations to improve current practices in infant habituation research.

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“…The workflow was validated specifically for one VoE experiment, and we do not test the importance of specific features of this context. For example, there is an ongoing debate about the importance of controlling exposure in the familiarization period of VoE experiments and/or of fully habituating infants (Kucharsky et al, 2022;Zaharieva et al, 2021). In the automated paradigm, all infants saw six trials, whereas in lab infants watched up to 9 trials until habituated (looking time reduced by half).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

An asynchronous, automated workflow for looking time experiments with infants

Raz,

Piccolo,

Medrano

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The study of infant gaze has long been a key tool for understanding the developing mind. However, labor-intensive data collection and processing limit the speed at which this understanding can be advanced. Here, we demonstrate a fully asynchronous, automated workflow for conducting Violation-of-Expectation (VoE) experiments. We first replicate four classic VoE experiments in a synchronous online setting, and show that VoE can generate highly replicable effects through remote testing. We then confirm the accuracy of a state-of-the- art gaze annotation software, iCatcher+ in a new setting. Third, we train parents to control the experiment flow based on the infant's gaze. Combining all three innovations, we then conduct an asynchronous automated infant-contingent VoE experiment. The automatic workflow successfully replicates a classic VoE effect: infants look longer at inefficient actions than efficient ones. We compare the resulting effect size and statistical power to the same study run in-lab and synchronously via Zoom. The automated workflow significantly reduces the marginal cost and time per participant, enabling larger sample sizes. By enhancing the reproducibility and robustness of findings relying on infant looking, this workflow could help support a cumulative science of infant cognition. Tools to implement the workflow are openly available.

show abstract

Design Choices in the Infant Habituation Paradigm: A Pre-registered Crowd-Sourced Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Cited by 3 publications

References 70 publications

An asynchronous, hands-off workflow for looking time experiments with infants.

An asynchronous, hands-off workflow for looking time experiments with infants.

Habituation, part II. Rethinking the habituation paradigm

An asynchronous, automated workflow for looking time experiments with infants

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