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 Spring 2022:  4 credits

Last day to earn credits in Spring 2022:  Monday, May 2nd, 2022, 12:00pm Noon EST

Find fully detailed PDF here

Find detailed Video Presentation here

**Feb 4, 2022 UPDATE: Due to the delayed prescreen launch, the deadline to receive 1 bonus credit for completing the prescreen early has been extended to 12:00pm Noon EST on Monday, Feb 21, 2022. After this date, participants are still required to complete the prescreen prior to participation, yet there will be no bonus credit granted.

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 Monday, February 21st, 2022 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 Monday, February 21st, 2022, 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, May 2nd, 2022, at 12:00pm Noon EST.