Thank you so much for your interest in our lab and our research! If you’re reading this, you may be wondering how to become a member of the Baby Lab. The following is a brief overview of what you can expect as a student in our lab.
Our lab offers a wide range of opportunities for students looking for undergrad research experience. These opportunities include, but are not limited to literature review, participant recruitment, data collection, data analysis, proofreading, programming, management, etc. We are confident that you will find tasks that suit well with your personality and interests. However small a task is, by working together, we will create something truly amazing! With every bit of effort you put into lab activities, you will be rewarded with more training opportunities and valuable experiences that will be useful in any career you choose to pursue in the future. We hope that what you learn in our lab will help you discover what you are passionate about!
If you’re thinking about the Baby Lab as a platform for your graduate training, we highly recommend you see it as a long-term investment of your time and energy. Typically, our graduate students enjoy the freedom to manage research projects. They also take part in other collaborative projects as well as teaching, supervision, and other related activities. Although our lab can offer you a variety of experiences that can enhance your graduate studies, you may (and you should) find yourself wanting more than the current scope of our lab’s research. If your research interests go beyond what we can offer, you can consider co-supervision by two labs at McMaster. We’re excited to see what kind of new skills and perspectives you can bring to our lab! We hope extensive graduate training will make you an independent researcher with great potential both within and beyond academia!
In general, we welcome students regardless of their research and academic backgrounds. A multidisciplinary team is what makes psychology unique and interesting!
To know more about our lab, please check our lab handbook (work in progress) HERE.
Please fill out this form [Link]. We hope you could describe your research interests and expectations,attach your latest CV and transcript. We will contact you for a meeting if there is a fit. However, because of the large number of enquiries, Dr. Xiao will refrain from replying to every email. Please do NOT send any 'reminder' email. Thank you for your understanding!
There are many new and exciting tasks depending on the current projects. Students often complete literature reviews, stimuli preparation, recruitment, programming, data analysis, and running experiments. The lab provides plenty of training resources for these tasks!
Time commitment and workload expected for members in the lab are dependent on the student’s position. Volunteer and QQ3/Q03 students may have a more flexible schedule, as they often assist thesis students with smaller tasks related to a larger project. Thesis students are expected to commit more hours as they are more directly involved with the creation and development of their projects.
As for a research volunteer, you don't need to balance. You should ALWAYS priotize your studies over research in our lab. We would appreciate it if you could inform us your unavailability in advance.
As for independent research students, honours thesis students, research assistants, and graduate students, you're expected to discuss your commitments with Dr. Xiao in advance.
The Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour Ballot System will be sent to 2nd and 3rd year PNB students in February or March. To apply for a spot at McMaster Baby Lab for the upcoming school year, select Dr Xiao in Section 3 of the ballot form and provide additional information on why you would like to join the lab. You will be able to enroll in your desired research course once the ballot results are released!
The Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour Ballot System will be sent to 3rd year PNB students in February or March. To apply to complete your thesis at McMaster Baby Lab for the upcoming school year, select Dr. Xiao in Section 4 of the ballot form and provide additional information on why you would like to work at the lab. You will be able to enroll in your desired thesis course once the ballot results are released! It is also highly recommended that you reach out to Dr. Xiao by e-mail (xiaon8@mcmaster.ca) prior to submitting the ballot in order to introduce yourself and your research interests. Thesis supervisors can only accept a limited number of thesis students, so it would help to get to know your supervisor beforehand!
If you are interested in joining the lab as a graduate student, please contact Dr. Xiao directly through email (xiaon8@mcmaster.ca) to introduce yourself and your research interests. More information for students interested in pursuing graduate research in PNB at McMaster University can be found here. (Not sure about the specifics, feel free to add/change)
If you wish to volunteer in the lab, you can send an email expressing interest to Dr. Xiao (xiaon8@mcmaster.ca). It will be helpful to include a transcript and resume/CV and include a few sentences expressing why you would like to join the lab and why you are interested in perceptual development research. This is a great way to get involved in the lab if you are not eligible for a PNB independent study. Our lab consists of members from various faculties and programs!
No, students in our lab come from different programs and have taken diverse courses. However, knowledge on basic psychology terminology would be highly beneficial.
You have to be an active lab member for more than 6 months. Reference letters will not be provided if your affiliation with the lab has ended for more than 2 years.