Q&A with Judith Danovitch!

1. What inspired you to become a psychologist? 

I think I was always interest in cognitive development (although I didn't know it was called that) because I grew up speaking three languages at home, and I often wondered how that was possible and why it was easy for me. In college, I worked in a psychology lab and taught children in different settings and I realized how much I loved working with children and how interesting it would be to try to understand their thinking processes.

2. What is your favorite part about doing research?

My favorite part of research is collecting data and seeing the results. It is so much fun to hear what children have to say, and it is exciting to discover new aspects of how their minds work.

3. What research finding do you think is most important for parents to know?

I think the research on temperament is extremely valuable for parents. Temperament basically means that different children react to the same experience in different ways. So, for example, one child might experience a roller coaster ride as fun while another child finds it terrifying. I think if parents understood this better, they would be more appreciative of their child's individuality and be less likely to compare their child to other children.

4. What goal do you hope to accomplish with your research?

I hope to give parents, educators, and the general public new insights into how children think at different points in their development. 

Positive and Negative Thinkers' Brains

Research conducted by Michigan State University psychologist, Jason Moser, shows that positive and negative thinking may actually be hardwired in the brain. To read more about these findings in the MSU Today, please click here . Dr. Moser also develop the neurophysiological measures used here at the MSU M.A.P. Project! 

Picture of the Week!

Below is a picture of our child-friendly waiting room here at the KID Lab. 

Delayed Gratification

As children develop, their ability to wait longer for greater rewards increases. Older children are better able to resist having a smaller reward now to obtain a bigger reward later. This is called delayed gratification, and it’s a process that we often use throughout our daily lives. Specifically, the ways in which children think about the rewards and handle their desires become more sophisticated, allowing them to wait longer periods of time when faced with such choices.

The MSU MAP project looks at behaviors and thought processes similar to delayed gratification in children ages five to seven. We hope to better understand how such behaviors and thought processes develop, as well as how they’re related to parenting behaviors, patterns of brain activity, and a range of other factors. Understanding how children think and develop is important in order to create better learning environments to provide children with more positive outcomes throughout childhood and beyond.

Below is a fun video explaining the concept of delayed gratification.