Research Opportunities/ Research Participant Pool Info/ General Pool Info
General Research Participant Pool Information for Psychology Students
Who can participate in the general research participant pool? Why participate?
Students in some psychology classes can participate as subjects in psychological studies for extra-credit. We know not everyone needs extra credit, so keep in mind that participation in these studies allows you to gain invaluable first-hand experience with psychological research. In some cases, it may give you ideas for a research project that you may pursue in upper division laboratory courses or in independent research. It also will give you tangible examples of some of the research techniques that you may be studying in your class. Your professor will indicate to you in your syllabus whether or not your class is eligible and how many credits you may obtain. You can also check the listing of SP08 eligible courses.Procedures | Rights | Getting the most out of research participation | Obtaining Credit |
Where do I sign up for studies?
Studies are posted online using an Experiment Management System specifically designed for the SMCM Psychology Department Research Participant Pool. It can be found at http://smcm.sona-systems.com. Please bookmark this page for easy access. Angie Draheim will periodically send e-mails via the system to alert you to studies currently in need of participants but you should check the system website for available studies on a routine basis.
How do I sign up to participate in studies?
The Research Pool Administrator, Angie Draheim, will create Experiment Management System accounts for all students in eligible courses after the drop/add period and send information via e-mail.
1) Login to the website (http://smcm.sona-systems.com). You will be prompted for a username and password. Your username is the same as your user id in Outlook (email) (E.g. if your email is jjdoe@smcm.edu then your user id is jjdoe) and your password is your student ID#.
a. After you log in once, you can change your password using the "My Profile" page.
b. If logging in using the method described below does not work for you, click on the “request an account” link on the left-hand side of the page and complete the fields. After you request an account, you will receive an e-mail with your login information and an automatically generated numerical password.
2) Click on Studies from top toolbar to view all of the “G” studies available to you. Each study listed will list how many credits the study is worth. Most studies are worth 0.5 credit, but occasionally there are studies worth 1 or 2 credits. Also listed may be a brief description of the experiment and/or special requirements that restrict your eligibility to participate in the study (e.g., females only, left-handers only, etc.). Studies that currently have available participation times (timeslots) will have “TIMESLOTS AVAILABLE” listed next to the name of the study. If no studies have available timeslots, you may want to logon to the system a couple days later to see if new timeslots have been added. To view more information about a study, click on the name of the study.
3) To sign up to participate in a study, find the study you would like to participate in and click on the study name for more information. You will see a list of any special restrictions or eligibility requirements, as well as a contact person if you have questions about the study. Once you have determined you meet all the requirements*, click on View Timeslots for This Study and you will see a list of available timeslots. Choose a timeslot that is convenient for you, and click Sign Up**. After you click Sign Up***, you will see information displayed confirming the time and location of the study you plan to participate in. Please write down this information in your planner so you won't forget to attend. Also make note of any special preparation that is required for the study (e.g. bring your glasses/wear your contacts). You will receive an email confirmation as well. Make sure to write down the researcher's contact information so that you can reach them if an emergency arises the day of the study and it is too late for you to cancel using the system.
a) Included in this information will be your unique “Identity Code” (this is not your Student ID number). You must write this code number down and remember to bring it with you to the study (or provide in the space required for online studies) as this is the only way you are identified to researchers. If you do not provide your Identity Code to the researcher, you cannot receive credit for your participation.
b) Remember to check your SMCM e-mail on a regular (i.e. daily) basis. A reminder e-mail with the study and contact information and your Identity Code will be sent to you 24 hours before the study is scheduled to take place.
*You should only sign up for the study if you meet the restrictions. If you sign up for the study and you do not meet the restrictions, you will likely not receive credit for the study, and could face a penalty.
**You may only sign up for a timeslot up until a certain time before that timeslot is scheduled to occur. The system will not show a Sign Up button for timeslots where it is too late to sign up.
***Some studies require an invitation code to sign up. If this is the case, it will be noted and if you are eligible to participate, the researcher will give you the code. It is not the same as your identity code. You will need to enter the special invitation code just before you click the Sign Up button to sign up for a timeslot.
What if I need to cancel a sign up?
If you need to cancel a timeslot you have signed up for, you can do this from the My Schedule and Credits page. Choose the My Schedule/Credits option from top toolbar. You will see listed all the studies you have signed up for, as well as those you have completed. Studies you have signed up for that you are allowed to cancel will have a Cancel button* next to them.
*Studies specify a deadline for you to cancel before the study is to occur. When it is too late to cancel, the system will indicate this to you.
I am a student in a more than one course that offers optional extra credit for participation in research. Why does my credit report say "You have earned 2 credits out of the 11 credits you are expected to earn?
You are correct, extra credit is optional. Unfortunately, the system does not differentiate between credits that are required and credits that are optional. The total number of credits you see (e.g. 11) is determined by which courses you selected during the registration process. For example, one class might allow 6 extra credits and another might allow 5. Contact Angie Draheim to update your profile at any time to change the courses in which you are enrolled.
Participant Rights
Research projects posted on the Research Participant Pool Website have been reviewed and approved by the St. Mary's College Institutional Review Board established to protect your rights and welfare. Everything you do or say during a research project is strictly confidential. In addition, you have the right to decline participation or discontinue participation at any time and for any reason without penalty. Please note, however, that credit is not awarded until after a study’s completion.
Getting the most out of research participation*
All participants will be provided with feedback concerning the purposes and expectations of the studies in which they participate during a debriefing period. We strongly encourage participants to ask questions during this time. You may often get as much out of the discussion following the experiment as you do during actual participation. The researchers will be more than happy to discuss any aspect of the study with you. Basically, you’ll get as much out of the experience as you put into it.
By participating in research, you are providing a very valuable service to the psychology department. Your contribution in this regard is highly valued and much appreciated. As an integral component of the research done in the psychology department, you can and should expect to be treated with respect and kindness, and to be fully debriefed at the end of an experiment. If, at any time, you are unhappy with your experience, please call Angie Draheim (x4290). We would not only like to make your participation in psychological research and educational experience, but a pleasurable one as well.
Sometimes the nature of an experiment isn’t fully understood, even after the experimenter or his/her assistant has attempted to explain it. If there are questions or concerns about a project that you wish to discuss at sometime in the future, we ask that you contact either Angie Draheim, ardraheim@smcm.edu, x4290, or Dr. Jennifer Tickle, Chair of the Institutional Review Board, irb@smcm.edu, x4359.
*adapted from Sieber, J. E. (1999). What makes a subject pool (un)ethical? In G.D. Chastain & R.E. Landrum (Eds.), Protecting human subjects: Departmental subject pools and institutional review boards (pp.43-63). Washington, D.C.:American Psychological Association.
For lab/classroom studies: There will be a form to sign once the debriefing section of the experiment has been completed. Please PRINT your name, student ID#, and identity code. If you do not write legibly, you may not receive your credit! Credits are usually awarded on the Monday following a study session.
For online studies: If you sign up for an online study hosted by the system, you will be taken immediately to the survey. As soon as you complete the survey, you will receive credit*. If you sign up for an online study that is hosted outside the system (i.e. Surveymonkey.com), you will need to follow the link to view the study website relatively soon after you sign up, complete the survey, and enter your identity code when prompted. You should receive credit within one week of participating*.
You may reassign credits to a course up until the last day of classes. You can use the “My Schedule and Credits” area at any time to view the studies you have signed up for/have participated in as well to keep track of how many credits you have earned.
*Please note that you must complete all sections of an online study in one sitting, as you are not allowed to resume at another time from where you left off. While you are participating, your responses will be stored in a temporary holding area as you move through the sections, but they will not be permanently saved until you complete all sections. If you complete all sections in one sitting and do not later receive credit, contact the researcher or Angie Draheim. DO NOT visit the Surveymonkey site to complete/start a particular survey more than once!!!