Child psychologist to appear on “Office Hours”

Child psychologist and researcher Jenny Saffran will appear Monday on the Big Ten Network’s weekly half-hour talk show “Office Hours” to discuss recent findings in how babies learn language.

The episode will air on Monday, Sept. 14 at 3 p.m. central time on the Big Ten Network.

Saffran, a University of Wisconsin–Madison psychology professor and laboratory director of the Waisman Center Infant Learning Lab, will join host and UW–Madison political science professor Ken Goldstein to discuss recent findings in both her lab and the field.

She will explain that babies are actually smarter than old ways of thinking suggested. They are capable of learning sounds, pitch and words using fascinating innate skill sets that are transformed by cultural surroundings.

Saffran’s research focuses largely on how children acquire their native language.

“Office Hours” invites guests from many areas of the UW–Madison campus to share their work with viewers across the country. Past episodes have touched on subjects including the economy, evolution, the common cold and stem cell research.

The show is produced by University Communications and additional production help and writing comes from students in Goldstein’s upper-level class on political communication.