We are a non-profit research group at the University of Manitoba. We study how people's theories about the world change as they age. You can read more about ongoing projects below. You can also find us in the community talking about science at our Living Lab.
Digital Reasoning and Literacy
How do children come to represent the digital world? Is how they think about digital settings the same or different from how they think about physical ones? How can we keep them safe online?
Educational Beliefs
How do our beliefs about learning influence education and development? How do myths about education affect learning?
The Science of Possessions
How do children think about theirs and others’ possessions? How do children and adults reason about material culture?
Informal Learning Environments
In collaboration with amazing community partners we ask: How do museums, zoos, science centers influence parents’ and children’s learning? What features of exhibits promote learning?
Our Team
Director
Shaylene Nancekivell (she/her)
Dr. Shaylene Nancekivell is an Associate Professor at the University of Manitoba who directs the Young Minds Research Lab. She was previously an Assistant Professor at UNCG. Broadly, she is interested in understanding the nature of conceptual representations, specifically those (potentially) structured as intuitive theories. Her primary interests center around how children and adults reason about digital contexts and possessions. But, she has additional interests in people’s beliefs about learning. Her work can be found in a wide range of developmental, cognitive science, and educational journals. She is currently funded by both NSERC and SSHRC grants.
Learn more about recent papers here, or by sending her an email at shaylene.nancekivell@umanitoba.ca.
Graduate Students
Ekam Banipal (she/her)
Ekam is currently in her first year of the Experimental Psychology Master's program. She is interested in children’s consumption of content provided by algorithms. For her thesis, she is working on investigating algorithmic literacy amongst parents and how this impacts children's interactions with technology. Other than conducting research, Ekam enjoys spending time with her family and friends and reading books.
Mark Dobrovolskyi
Mark is pursuing a Master’s degree in School Psychology. He aims to increase the inclusivity of children with diverse needs and promote evidence-based practices in education. His Master’s thesis focuses on how learning styles, a common learning myth, may impact how people think of students and the potential consequences of these perceptions. Beyond academia, Mark enjoys skateboarding, gardening, and exploring the great outdoors.
Allyson Paton (she/her)
Allyson is in her second year of the School Psychology Masters program. She is interested in research that supports wellbeing and development in children. Allyson’s Masters research focuses on promoting wellbeing in digital spaces by learning how children think and feel about technology. Her thesis is supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. When not in front of her laptop, you can find Allyson outside gardening or cozying up with her cat and a good book.
Sarah Petriw (she/her)
Sarah is our former database coordinator/lab manager. She is starting her first year of the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Manitoba in the fall. She is interested in how young children reason about privacy online (and offline). Her thesis is supported by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
Lab Managers
Erica Pouteau
Erica grew up on a dairy farm near Mariapolis, Manitoba. She graduated from the University of Manitoba with her BSc. Honours Degree in Microbiology in June 2024. Erica has research experience in the MicroStats lab in the Dept of Microbiology. She joined our lab as she is interested in a career path involving developmental psychology and genetics.
Breanna Amoyaw (she/her)
Breanna is an undergraduate student in her final year of the B.Sc. Psychology Honours program. She joined the lab to learn more about child development. She is conducting her thesis on how individuals understand privacy in online contexts.
Undergraduate Students
Braxton Anderson
Braxton is a fourth year undergraduate student in the B.A. program. He is intensely interested in Ludology and how "play" affects learning and development in people. He joined the lab to learn more about how people understand their learning.
Addison Barkman (she/her)
Addison graduated from the B.A. Psychology Honours program. She conducted her thesis project on how children and adults learn through museum exhibits. She is interested in children’s cognitive development.
Caleb Payment
Caleb is a third year undergraduate student in the B.Sc. Psychology program. He is interested in studying the reasons behind human behaviour and decision making. He joined the lab to learn the basis that children use to make decisions.
Gurpahul Kaur (she/her)
Gurpahul is a third-year student, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Psychology with a minor in Political Science. While she likes to study about Social and Personality Psychology, she is still exploring the variety this department offers. She joined the lab to explore the practical world of Development Psychology, to get an in-depth account of how a child development lab works and has now grown to like working with kids.
Sienna Carritt (she/her)
Sienna Carritt is a fourth year undergraduate student in the B.A. Psychology Honours program. Her main interests are developmental psychology and how children understand their world, which she is excited to learn more about in the Young Minds Reseach Lab.
Camryn Kangas (she/her)
Camryn is a third year BA Honours Psychology student at the University of Manitoba. She is currently hoping to pursue clinical psychology and is extremely interested in child development and behavior modification. She is very excited to be a part of the lab, and looks forward to exploring how children learn through museum exhibits.
Kyla Sarmiento
Kyla is a third year undergraduate student in the B.A. Psychology Honours Program. She is interested in the many aspects of child development and is excited to be part of the Young Minds Research Lab.
Emma Papoff
Emma is a fourth year student in the Psychology Honours program. She is conducting her thesis in the lab.
Caroline Coughlan
Caroline is a fourth year undergraduate student in the B.Sc. Psychology Honours program. She joined the lab to gain research experience and has discovered that she is most interested in understanding learning in a museum setting.
This could be you!
We are currently looking for graduate and undergraduate student researchers to join our lab.
Collaborators
We work with these amazing researchers:
Dr. Drew Weatherhead, Dalhousie University, Cognition and Language Learning Research Group
Dr. Jasmine DeJesus, UNCG, Development Culture Health Lab
Dr. Ori Friedman, University of Waterloo, Child Cognition Lab
Dr. Stephanie Denison, University of Waterloo, Developmental Learning Lab
Dr. Susan Gelman, University of Michigan, Conceptual Development Lab
Dr. Priti Shah, University of Michigan, Basic and Applied Cognition Lab
We also work closely with our Living Lab partner Manitoba Museum to bring research to the community.
A massive thank you to our previous partners in North Carolina: Kaleideum, Greensboro Children’s Museum, and the NC Zoo; and in Ontario: Waterloo Region Museum.