Submitted by Administrator on Mon, 29/10/2012 - 11:53
Russell, J., Gee, B., and Bullard, C. (2012). Why Do Young Children Hide by Closing Their Eyes? Self-Visibility and the Developing Concept of Self. Journal of Cognition and Development, 13 (4), 550-576 - captures the imagination of BPS blog and Mail Online
Research conducted by Dr James Russell and his team at the Cambridge Developing Cognition Laboratory is highlighted by the British Psychological Society Research Digest blog and is also reported in today's Mail Online. (See also the University's Research News article.)
The research, published in the Journal of Cognition and Development, poses the question: 'Why do young children hide by closing their eyes?'. The team used this behaviour to provide a window into how young children think. By carrying out a series of tests, they were able to establish that young children think that people can only be seen by others when their eyes meet. These results will be particularly significant to researchers studying children with autism or those who are born blind.
To find out more about the work of Dr Russell and his team, see the Cambridge Developing Cognition Laboratory website. The Lab is looking for young
volunteers, so if you are a parent of children aged either five to ten months, or two to six years, the Lab would be very interested to hear from you - please see the CDCL website for details of how to get in touch.