Chi-square example via dancing, empathetic babies

Don't you love it when research backs up your lifestyle? My kids LOVE dancing. We have been able to get both kids hooked on OK GO and Queen and Metallica. The big kid's favorite song is "Tell Me Something Good" by Chaka Khan and the little kid prefer's "Master of Puppets". We all like to dance together.

My kids, husband, and sister dancing.

Now, research suggests that our big, loud group activity may increase empathy in our kids.

NPR summarized Dr. Laura Cirelli's research looking at 14 m.o.'s and whether they 1) helped or 2) did not help a stranger who either 1) danced in sync with them or 2) danced, but not in sync, with the child. She found (in multiple studies) that kids offer more assistance after they danced in sync with an adult. 

How to use in class:

1) Here is fake chi-square, test of independence, data you can use in class. It IS NOT the data from the research but mimics the findings of the research. "Synced?" refers to whether or not the baby and adult danced in sync, and "Helped?" refers to whether or not the baby offered assistance to their dance partner.

Synced?	Helped?
Yes	Yes
Yes	Yes
Yes	Yes
Yes	Yes
Yes	Yes
Yes	Yes
Yes	No
Yes	Yes
Yes	Yes
Yes	No
Yes	No
Yes	Yes
Yes	Yes
Yes	Yes
Yes	Yes
Yes	No
Yes	Yes
Yes	No
Yes	Yes
Yes	No
No	No
No	No
No	No
No	No
No	No
No	No
No	Yes
No	Yes
No	No
No	No
No	No
No	No
No	Yes
No	No
No	No
No	No
No	Yes
No	No
No	Yes
No	Yes
No	No

2. This is a good example of developmental psychology. We can't ask babies to describe, via the Likert-type scale, how much empathy they feel towards a stranger. But we can observe whether or no they offer aid to a stranger.

3. This is also a good example of social psychology and the power of mimicry in bonding.

4. This research and researcher provide a mini-lesson on how scientists come up with research ideas. Lead author Dr. Laura Cirelli used to work in a daycare center, and now she is a post-doc at U. Toronto. Also, while I only focus on one study in this blog post, Dr. Cirelli has clarified and replicated in findings in multiple studies, which illustrates the iterative process of science. For more on Dr. Cirelli and the original research, visit her ResearchGate page.