Lockbox Data

About Project

Lockbox data is a series of data collected by Pamela Cole (Professor of Psychology) at Penn State in her study of emotional development in early childhood with a particular interest in emotion regulation (the ability to modulate one’s emotional reactions). By placing a toy within a locked box and giving the wrong key to a child, this set of data documents how the particular child attempts to open the locked box in order to get the toy. The child will inherently be frustrated and this study focuses on how these children cope with their frustrations.

Titled ‘The Development of Toddlers Study’ (DOTS), this experiment is an NIMH-funded longitudinal study following 120 children from age 18 months to age 48 months, examining how their own skills and personalities and various aspects of their parents’ lives influence the development of awareness, effectiveness, and flexibility in preschool age emotion regulation.

For Playing the Archive, Lockbox data was played by data analyst (Michael Coccia), artists (Ee Ching Ng @ Candice & Matthey Kenney), photographer (Cody Goddard), tuba player (Sean Kennedy), and music technologist (Mark Ballora). They were led by Joey Baron on the percussion.