April 2026

Announcements

Help us understand and improve

Big Team Science!

Despite its rapid growth, Big Team Science (BTS) remains surprisingly understudied, which has resulted in a lack of systematic data on how it works in practice. This information is crucial for articulating the value of BTS to those who are unfamiliar with it (such as funders and evaluation committees), as well as for improving the experience of BTS collaborators like yourself.

These surveys were created by working groups within the CONNECT partnership, a collaboration involving seven Big Team Science networks–including ManyBabies-dedicated to understanding and improving BTS.

Findings will be shared across CONNECT to help make collaborative science more reliable, inclusive, and impactful. The more responses we get, the more meaningful and valuable the results will be for everyone involved.

Big Team Science Experience Survey [20 minutes]

Tools and Infrastructure Survey [5 minutes]

THANK YOU!

Watch the recording to learn how to make an interactive data visualization tool!

Project Updates

MB2P (pupillometry): The taskforce is working on an initial manuscript draft. Updates will be shared on the #mb2p-pupillometry Slack channel.

The revised Stage 2 Registered Report is under review at Developmental Science! READ THE PREPRINT

We are excited to present some of our findings at the APS conference in Barcelona in May 2026 in the context of a symposium on Big Team Science. Let us know if you will be there!

MB4E (emotional responses): Coding of infants’ facial/emotional responses to the Hill paradigm have been coded via FACS coders; preliminary analyses reveal no significant relationship between infants’ facial/emotional responses and their subsequent behaviour (e.g., likelihood to choose the helper/hinderer). The analysis team is currently conducting code checks and additional exploratory analyses.

MB4I (individual differences): Preliminary analyses found that parental antisocial talk was positively associated with the likelihood of infants choosing the helper in the main MB4 project. Related findings were accepted as a poster at ICIS; further analyses and manuscript write up is in progress.

MB4P (posture): This project seeks to explore the relationship between infants’ postural responses and their subsequent behaviour (e.g. choice of helper/hinderer) in the main MB4 study. We are currently working on trimming videos and analyzing them with OpenPose.

MB5: Hunter & Ames model of infant looking preference

We are finalizing materials and experimental programs with an aim to kick off data collection next month! Look out for an email to the listserv in the next few weeks with details about materials, experimental programs, and data collection!

We are finalizing the Stage 1 Registered Report manuscript for submission. Thanks to everyone who has contributed, and please stay tuned!

Many interesting design proposals were submited, and voting for the final paradigm has started (deadline: May 15th). There will be a pair of Q&A sessions with the design proposers on May 11 and 12. Make sure you are subscribed to the listserv to receive updates.