ABC Lab - Bridging science and art

The benefits of parents sharing attention with their children are highlighted in new exhibits at Dundee Science Centre.

The impact project, led by Geraldine Brown and the ABC Lab, and funded by the University of St Andrews Knowledge Exchange and Impact Fund, is part of a partnership with Dundee Science Centre. The Peek Boxes have holes which children and their parents are invited to peek through together, and observe and discuss the magical, intricate creations inside.

Specifically, the project aims to highlight the benefits of ‘joint attention’, an area of research being undertaken by Professor Malinda Carpenter and colleagues within the ABC Lab. Joint attention has been shown to have many benefits for language, learning, cooperation and social interaction. 

The boxes are linked to activities and display boards featuring fun questions crafted to encourage discussion around the content within the boxes, and to an ABC Lab website with tips for parents to encourage more moments of joint attention with their children. Longer-term, the ABC Lab is planning a research project to assess the impact of the boxes.

The scenes within the boxes were created by award winning Glasgow-based artist Eleanor Stewart, using sustainable materials such as wood and paper. They will be available for viewing at Dundee Science Centre from 16 August.