Participate
See our list of studies below to determine if you or your child are eligible. Participants who wear glasses or contact lenses should wear them to their appointment. In-person appointments take place at the Boys Town National Research Hospital located at 555 N 30th Street, although requests for appointments at our West Boys Town campus can be accommodated.
If you or your child are interested in participating in a research study,contact our lab using the contact information down below! Thank you for your interest in the Working Memory and Language Lab research and we hope to see you in soon!
Current Studies
Visual Sequence Memory in Children
The purpose of this study is to understand how early experiences with listening and language may relate to later skills that support reading and memory. Children and teens will be asked to play a game of computerized whack-a-mole. They will then be given sequences of the “mole hole" locations to remember.
Rhythm Strategies in Memory
The purpose of this study is to understand how and if children can use rhythm strategies during memory tasks. Children will be asked to listen to words related to a picture and repeat back as many as they can remember. They will be given different rhythm strategies to use throughout the study.
Contact Us!
For more information, contact our lab directly:
Working Memory and Language Laboratory
Phone:
(531) 355-5680
E-mail:
wmll@boystown.org
General Appointment Information
When You Arrive
A research staff member will greet you at the door and escort you to the lab. The staff member will explain the study and answer any questions you may have. You (and your child) will be given a form to formally consent to participate in the study.
Please note that a parent or legal guardian must accompany child participants to their research appointment. If a parent or legal guardian cannot accompany their child, please contact lab staff in advance to make special arrangements for reviewing paperwork.
During the Visit
Participants will be given a hearing and vision screening. Some participants may receive additional language and neurocognitive testing. The lengths of visits vary but tend to be 1-3 hours. Participants will be given frequent breaks.
During the study, participants will be asked to remember numbers, words, or pictures. You or your child may be asked to listen to sounds through headphones. We are also incorporating novel measures, such as surface electromyography (sEMG) and respiration rate as neurophysiological indicators of silent self-talk and attention. When using these measures, some participants may wear stickers on their neck and face that let us measure muscle movement.
We have a waiting room with toys where parents/guardians may supervise and entertain any other young guests (e.g. your child's siblings) who may need to accompany you to the appointment.
After the Visit
When we are done, participants will be compensated for their time. Our child participants will also get to pick out a small prize. Some participants will be offered the opportunity to return for a follow-up visit.
Thank you for participating in research at Boys Town National Research Hospital!
