Participant Pool

All students* in introductory 100-level Psychology courses must complete a research requirement. The requirement is to participate in research studies or complete an alternative activity. By participating in studies or completing the alternative, students earn credits toward their requirement. A credit is equal to 30 minutes of research participation OR the completion of one alternative activity. The number of required credits changes each semester as a function of the needs of Psychology Department researchers. There is a penalty for not completing this requirement; failing to earn the required number of credits will lower your 100-level Psychology grade by two levels (e.g., from B- to C). Please note that this requirement is only for one introductory Psychology class per semester. If a student is enrolled in more than one class at a time then they are required to complete the requirement for only one of them.

*students who have completed the research requirement in two separate introductory 100-level courses are exempt from completing it in any future 100-level courses and will be notified by the Academic Technician via email with confirmation of status

Required Credits for Fall 2024:  6 credits

Last day to earn credits in Fall 2024:  Monday, December 9th, 2024, 12:00pm Noon EST

Find fully detailed PDF here

Find detailed Video Presentation here

Student Responsibilities

Set up an account:

• Go to http://dickinson.sona-systems.com/ and click the green button “Dickinson Gateway Log In”
• Log into Dickinson Gateway using your normal credentials
• Now click "Request Account" on the Sona page. Read the instructions and choose your course.
• Click "Request Account" and then log into Sona.
• Read and acknowledge the Human Subjects information 
• Complete the Pre-screen questionnaire
  • If you create an account and complete the Pre-screen by 12:00 pm Noon EST on Friday, February 9th, 2024 you will earn 1 early-bird research participation credit 
• Make note of your Sona-Systems Identity Code (5-digit number under My Profile)
  • This is the only way that researchers can identify you; you will need to provide this number to the researcher at your study appointment.

--OR--

Log onto existing account:

• Go to http://dickinson.sona-systems.com/ and click the green button “Dickinson Gateway Log In”
• Log in to Dickinson Gateway using your normal credentials
• You should now be logged in. If system asks you to Register for a New Account, DO NOT accept, just close browser and email PsychPP@dickinson.edu immediately.
• Once able to access the system appropriately: Read and acknowledge the Human Subjects information
• Complete the Pre-screen questionnaire
  • If you sign into your account and complete the Pre-screen by 12:00pm Noon EST on Friday, February 9th, 2024, you will earn 1 early-bird research participation credit
• Make note of your Sona-Systems Identity Code (5-digit number in My Profile)
  • This is the only way that researchers can identify you; you will need to provide this number to the researcher at your study appointment.

Registering for studies: 

• You should receive an email from the Academic Technician each time a new study becomes available.
• Sign in to your Sona-Systems account and view timeslots for the new study.
• Click “View Available Studies”
  • A table will show all of the current active studies. Check the “Timeslots Available” button to see the options that are available to you.
    • You might not be eligible for all of the studies that are being offered. Because of this, your friends might see studies that you cannot or vice versa.
  • Underneath the study name, you will see how many credits the study is worth, whether or not it is an online study, and the study’s brief abstract.
    • For traditional lab studies
      • Click on the different studies’ names in the “Study Information” column
      • Click “View Time Slots for This Study”
      • Find a date & time that works for you
      • Click “Sign Up”
    • For online studies
      • Click on the different studies’ names in the “Study Information” column
        • Note: Will say “(Online Study)” under it
      • Click “View Time Slots for This Study”
        • Note: There will only be one "Participation Deadline"
      • Sign up for the study & take the study immediately
        • If you do not take the study within a week, you will be granted an “unexcused” no-show (and the associated penalty).
• It is your responsibility to keep track of your Sona-Systems Identity Code, the date and time of studies that you sign up for, and credits that you have earned.

Study timeliness:

• Tardiness: researchers often have multiple sign-ups in a row; your lateness affects more than just you. If time does not allow the researcher fit you in because you are late, you will be given an unexcused no-show; the researcher is not required to make accommodations for you.
• Canceling in advance: if you cannot attend your appointment, you must notify the researcher (by signing into Sona-Systems and removing your name from the timeslot) before its cancelation deadline. Failure to cancel a scheduled appointment before the deadline will generally result in an unexcused no-show.
• Unexcused No-shows: if you accrue two unexcused no-shows for a study, you automatically lose the opportunity to participate in that study in the future.
• Alternative to research participation: 
  • Why? Some students either do not wish to participate or cannot do so legally (i.e., they are under 18 years old).
  • What is the alternative activity? You will be asked to read a scientific journal article relevant to your 100-level psychology course and answer basic questions about it. One complete alternative activity is worth one credit.
  • How? The Academic Technician will notify you of dates and times for the alternative activity via email. This will occur after mid-terms and again near the end of the semester.  The deadline for the alternative activity--the same as the research requirement--is Monday, April 29th, 2024, at 12:00pm Noon EST.