Research Opportunities/ Research Participant Pool Info/ PSYC101 Info
Introduction to Psychology Research Requirement:
Spring 2008
Research is an important component of the science of psychology. Students gain a better understanding of the discipline through direct experience with psychological research. Therefore, all PSYC101 (Introduction to Psychology) students must complete a research requirement.
Research Requirement | Participation Option | Rights | Paper Option | Combination
The research requirement must be fulfilled by obtaining 6 research credits. Credits can be obtained either by participating in “I” research (1/2 hour of participation=1 credit) or by writing summaries of empirical psychology journal articles (one summary= 2 credits). It would also be possible to fulfill the requirement by completing a combination of the two options.
Failure to fulfill the research requirement will result in a grade penalty. Completion of only 3, 4, or 5 credits will result in a 1/3 of a letter grade penalty (e.g., B+ would become a B, B would become a B-, B- would become a C+). Completion of 0, 1, or 2 credits will result in a 2/3 of a letter grade penalty (e.g., B+ to B-, B to C+, B- to C). Because there are no A+ and D- grades, instructors will determine, based on their grading system, the appropriate deduction in these situations. If extraordinary circumstances, such as extended illness or other serious emergency, prevent you from completing this requirement, you may request an Incomplete from the instructor.
This option allows you to have direct experience with psychological research by serving as a participant in psychological research being conducted by members of the psychology department.
Where do I sign up to participate in studies?
Studies are posted online at http://smcm.sona-systems.com, an Experiment Management System used by the Psychology Dept. for the Research Participant Pool. 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. Angie Draheim will create 2 Experiment Management System accounts for all Intro to Psyc Students after the drop/add period.
What studies count towards the fulfillment of the research requirement?
Studies that count towards the research requirement are coded with an “I” (e.g. #I-101). There are also “G” studies; these DO NOT count toward the research requirement, but may allow you to earn extra credit points—refer to your syllabus or check the current listing of eligible courses to see if you are able to earn extra credit through participation in “G” studies.
How do I sign up to participate in studies?
1) Login to the website. You will be prompted for a username and password.
To participate in “I” studies for your research requirement your username is the same as your user id in Outlook (email) plus “–i” (e.g. if your email is jjdoe@smcm.edu, then your user id is jjdoe-i) and your password is your student ID#.
To participate in “G” studies for extra credit your username is the same as your user id in Outlook (email) plus “-g” (e.g. if your email is jjdoe@smcm.edu, then your user id is jjdoe-g) and your password is your student ID#.
If logging in using the methods described above does not work for you, please see Angie Draheim as soon as possible. DO NOT ATTEMPT to create a new account on your own!
2) Click on Studies from top toolbar to view all of the studies available to you. Each study listed will list how many credits the study is worth. Most studies are worth 1 credit, but occasionally there are studies worth 0.5 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. NOTE: Your “I study” identity code is different than your “G study” identity code!!!
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.
4) Opportunities for you to start earning research credit via research participation right away
The Prescreen
Researchers may be looking for participants who have certain characteristics. Therefore, there is an online survey where you will be asked to complete a variety of questionnaires. If you are planning to do the research participation option, using your “I” account, you should complete #I-201: Prescreen for Psyc101 Students for one (1) credit toward your research requirement by 8AM on Feb 5, 2008. Completing #I-101 may increase the probability that you will be invited to participate in research conducted later in the semester. Researchers using pre-screening will contact students that they have selected to determine whether they are willing to participate in the study and to arrange a time to conduct the study. Researchers not using pre-screening will simply post their experiments on the system website.
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 or 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.
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. The system will not show a Cancel button for studies where it is too late to cancel.
If an emergency arises and the deadline to cancel has passed, you must contact the researcher directly.
- If you fail to attend an “I” study without such notification one (1) credit will be deducted from the balance of “I” study credits you have earned (i.e. if you are a no-show once, you would be responsible for completing 7 credits instead of 6, 8 credits after 2 no-shows, etc).
- If you fail to attend a “G” study without such notification one (1) credit will be deducted from your balance of earned extra credit.
How do I obtain credit for research participation?
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. 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.
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*.
*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!!!
All research projects posted on the website have been reviewed and approved by the SMCM 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.
This option provides exposure to the empirical basis of the field by reading and summarizing an empirical psychological journal article. If you select the paper option you will need to follow the Paper Option Guidelines to complete three (3) 500-800 word article summaries of psychological research journal articles. You will need to get the journal article approved by your instructor prior to writing the paper. One paper is equivalent to two (2) research credits.
How do I obtain credit for article summaries? What are the due dates? The papers will be evaluated on a pass/fail basis using the criteria outlined in the Paper Option Guidelines. Check with your instructor and/or your course syllabus for more information about deadlines.
You may also pursue any combination of research participation and paper options to reach the required 6 credits. For example, you may complete 1 paper (2 credits) and 4 credits of research participation (usually 4 studies) or 2 papers (4 credits) and 2 credits of research participation. Remember, the Prescreen (#I-101) will count as 1 credit towards your requirement.