https://www.youngmindsresearch.com/home daily 1.0 2026-07-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ccc52adfb182010e12e04ea/1656091315898-LQJG3NMY6I9CWFN1QSNJ/unsplash-image-hLvQ4-QEBAE.jpg Home - 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? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ccc52adfb182010e12e04ea/1559227008476-R46D9URO3GSU5GZFYKON/image-asset.jpeg Home - Educational Beliefs How do our beliefs about learning influence education and development? How do myths about education affect learning? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ccc52adfb182010e12e04ea/1557513093985-OFR1IJGE81BP90IGGCRT/bear.jpg Home - The Science of Possessions How do children think about theirs and others’ possessions? How do children and adults reason about material culture? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ccc52adfb182010e12e04ea/1666628347194-K3Y7Q4EJKM5D5QSQ4M7N/unsplash-image-xg8h8pMBjnA.jpg Home - 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? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ccc52adfb182010e12e04ea/2664e5f4-7c5e-4f21-a1e0-0dcd2881eb5f/Dr+N.jpg Home - 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. Right, now her primary interests center around how children and adults reason about digital contexts and possessions. But, as an educator, 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 NSERC. Learn more about recent papers here, or by sending her an email at shaylene.nancekivell@umanitoba.ca. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ccc52adfb182010e12e04ea/b5022f5c-e170-4b7b-a253-e47a3fb15150/C8F09FA7-EAB7-47B4-A748-FB35CB1351E6_1_201_a.jpg Home - Ekam Banipal (she/her) 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. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ccc52adfb182010e12e04ea/860b5430-49ab-44a6-b412-cea26bc19bab/Image.jpg Home - Mark Dobrovolskyi (he/him) Mark Dobrovolskyi (he/him) 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 collects hobbies, like soccer, bowling, baseball, and recently, chess! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ccc52adfb182010e12e04ea/1420cfc0-d5fa-45b6-845b-b829e7728c42/Allyson+headshot.jpg Home - Allyson Paton (she/her) Allyson Paton (she/her) Allyson is in 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. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ccc52adfb182010e12e04ea/f4660606-b63f-4604-b64d-e9e477c0b730/WhatsApp+Image+2023-10-26+at+15.00.15_be2e516d.jpg Home - Sarah Petriw (she/her) Sarah Petriw (she/her) Sarah is our former database coordinator/lab manager. She is in the Clinical Psychology PhD program at the University of Manitoba. She is interested in how young children reason about privacy online (and offline). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ccc52adfb182010e12e04ea/1e3ab3cd-f797-4087-aa38-d96b12b67e23/Celeste+Website+picture.jpg Home - Make it stand out Celeste Vermette (any pronouns) - Lab Manager Celeste graduated from the University of Manitoba in June of 2026 with a B.A. Honours in Psychology and minor in Anthropology. Having completed their undergraduate thesis with the MINDLab in the Dept. of Psychology, they are interested in how language affects individual's lived experience and how to support second-language acquisition in young learners https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ccc52adfb182010e12e04ea/f1f59d82-1419-49e4-b735-d6ce9c61a82c/Taylor.jpg Home - Make it stand out Taylor French - Social Media Coordinator Taylor is a B. A. Honours Psychology student. She joined the lab to gain valuable experience and expand her understanding of the clinical psychology field. Her interests centre around human development and behaviour modification. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ccc52adfb182010e12e04ea/807cb529-3560-48e1-b82f-9d8f8c9b94e2/Caleb%27s+headshot.jpg Home - Make it stand out Caleb Payment Caleb is an undergraduate student in the B.Sc. Honours 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. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ccc52adfb182010e12e04ea/0a796224-4f69-4903-a4f1-d5adcf080feb/WhatsApp+Image+2025-01-10+at+14.24.55.jpg Home - Make it stand out Kiana Pagtakhan Kiana is a third year undergrad student in the B.A. Honours Psychology program. She joined the lab to get research experience and is happy she gets to do so by studying child development. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ccc52adfb182010e12e04ea/c3ff614a-d958-47c5-bc57-03bb9467741e/Stock.png Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.