The Mind and Culture Lab (MaC lab) is a Research lab here at Union College. The Lab is advised by Dr. Ayse Payir, who specializes in child development. The lab examines the role of culture in children’s social cognitive development, with a specific focus on the role of imagination in everyday reasoning and how imagination is shaped by cultural input. Undergraduate research assistants work to interview children and collect data on how they view mythical or religious entities to determine how different backgrounds and ages play a role in understanding what is or is not real. Students in the lab also work together to go out into the community to gather participants.
The purpose of this lab is to further understand child development and evaluate a child’s imagination, which is more prevalent in childhood. In addition to contributing to developmental psychology research, the lab also gives undergraduate students hands-on experience with every stage of the research process. Researcher Sophia Habler ‘26 stated, “Spending the past year in the MaCLaB working on my senior thesis has been an incredible opportunity to gain hands-on research experience from start to finish. I have appreciated the opportunity to work with my fellow lab members, as well as local parents and children who have participated in this study.” Habler will attend graduate school at Harvard University next year, reflecting the strong research opportunities students gain through the MaCLab. The goal is to understand how children make sense of the world around them during this critical time of imagination. Using the data we gather, we are able to study various cognitive processes related to imagination, such as counterfactual thinking, judgments of possibility, conceptual learning, and social cognition.
Students in the lab are now tabling at the Schenectady Green Market every Sunday morning from 10 a.m to 2 p.m, to spread the word about the lab and gather new participants to further the research. You can find students under a canopy with a huge Union sign, handing out goodie bags to potential participants. The lab is looking for little scientists to help gather more data on the topic and grasp a greater understanding of child development. Students from the lab will also be attending the Union community carnival on May 17, 2026, where they will connect with families from the community and recruit potential participants. Another undergraduate researcher, Nidhi Shah ‘29, stated, “Participating in the MaClab has been a wonderful experience. It has given me in-depth insight into the research process, from setting up a study to the recruitment process to get participants.”If interested in participating or know someone interested, the lab is looking for 5-12-year-olds. It is about a 30-min- ute Zoom call, and for each child, parents will receive a $15 gift card and help contribute to the future of science!
