DPM Study

Digital VS. Print Media Study

Now accepting participants! 

TC IRB#22-173

We are currently seeking 10 to 12-year-old student volunteers for our Digital vs. Print Media (DPM) study to investigate whether reading off a screen or from a book affects reading comprehension in young learners. 

We use a method called electroencephalography (EEG), a safe and non-invasive technique for recording electrical activity generated by the brain. We invite typically developing readers to learn first-hand how scientific research is done and to check out their brain waves!

What to Expect:

Participants will be asked to complete behavioral assessments working online with a member of our assessment team. During a visit to our lab, they will perform reading comprehension tasks while their brain responses are recorded using Electroencephalogram (EEG). Just like you see in the photos here!

Participation will involve: 1 hour online, 1 hour 45 minutes in-person, and a 25-minute electronic survey. In recognition of the time commitment, participants/families will receive up to $150 and a photograph of the participant in the EEG net with their brain wave.  

Check out these brainwaves!

To break it down... "Electro" means electric, "encephalon" refers to the brain, and "gram" means to write, which makes perfect sense since the EEG is something that measures or, "writes down" the electrical activity in our brains.

The electrical activity is picked up by more than one hundred special sensors embedded in the nets, which produce a visual representation in the form of waves that we can see! 

 

Don't worry, wearing an EEG net does not hurt and is not harmful to the body in any way.

Learn more about EEG

Is My Child Eligible?

Children may be eligible if they:

  • are middle school students 10-12 years old
  • speak English as their primary language at home AND at school
  • have normal or corrected-to-normal vision
  • have normal hearing without the assistance of hearing aids
  • have not been diagnosed with a reading disability
  • have not been diagnosed with a neurological disorder
  • do not have a history of seizures, brain injury, or had brain surgery

Interested in Participating? Contact Us About This Study:

Neurocognition of Language Lab

Teachers College, Columbia University
528 West 121th Street, Room 1155
New York, NY 10027-6696

Tel: 212-678-7403
Email: ncllab@tc.columbia.edu

Let's Advance Science Safely Together!

Given the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, we are taking extra precautions to ensure the safety and welfare of all children and caregivers who enter our laboratory facility.

  • We follow all CDC recommendations.
  • We comply with all Teachers College COVID-19 Health and Safety Protocols.
  • We comply with all Teachers College IRB COVID-19 Research Protocols.

Note: Students may have to briefly remove their masks during parts of the study. Our COVID-19 protection plan will be discussed in detail with you before visiting the NCL lab. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out and ask us about COVID-19 protocols! 

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A Note on Our Language Requirement:

Our lab recognizes that NYC is home to a highly diverse community. For the DPM study, we can include participants who speak more than one language, though English must be the primary language spoken in school and at home. This is because we are trying to ensure that all our study participants come from as similar backgrounds as possible, which will help us understand any differences in our findings.

We do carry out studies involving speakers of different languages on a regular basis. If you are interested we would love to invite you back!

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