Sharon M. Guten Colloquium Series – Natalie Brito

The Online Remote Child Assessment (ORCA) Project: Using remote methodologies to capture heterogeneity of early learning and development

Developmental advancements in learning are dependent on efficient attentional processing – yet there is still
much to investigate regarding the factors that contribute to variability in early attention abilities and how
trajectories of attention support later higher-order cognitive skills. Over the past several years, use of remote
data collection has increased significantly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote methodologies may
not be appropriate for evaluating every developmental domain, but visual attention may be an ideal ability to
test, as looking is one of the earliest observable behaviors to develop in children. Remote methods have the
potential to lower participant burden, but remote data collection of neurocognitive measures for young
children are difficult to implement. This talk will present data from an ongoing, large-scale remote study
enrolling families across the United States in an effort to develop and validate a remote protocol measuring
behavioral and physiological indices of attention and memory during the first year of life. By increasing
accessibility and developing culturally sensitive protocols, sociodemographic representation will be increased,
strengthening our understanding of how variability in experiences shape normative trajectories of
development.