Participate in Research

Participant Pool Extra Credit Opportunity

Instructions for Psychology Students 

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY.  STUDENTS WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR KNOWLEDGE OF THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS 

Research experiments are a key component of the science of psychology. As a student in a psychology class, you will get the opportunity to participate in a research study. Students who complete all requirements of participation can receive up to 10 points extra credit on a psychology exam.  

As a participant, it is important that you understand that the Pool is more than an opportunity for extra credit. It was created to allow faculty and students in the Psychology Department to conduct scientific research. It is critical that our participants provide reliable and accurate data. 

Things to know about the Participant Pool… 

• You can earn up to 10 points on an exam in your psychology course for successful participation
• New experiments will be posted periodically throughout the semester – keep checking back!
• Opportunities are based on the number of participants needed – so sign up early!
• All experiments will be conducted on campus (or online) and typically take between 30 and 60 minutes  

To volunteer for the Participant Pool, you must… 

• Create an account in the Participant Pool website.
• To create an account, follow the instructions on the second page of this document
• You will be able to view all scheduled experiments and sign up for a convenient date and time  

*****IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT COURSE SELECTION***** 

• Select ALL of the Psychology courses that you are enrolled in this semester when you create an account. You will need the following information: (1) Course Name, (2) CRN, (3) Instructor, and (4) Date/Time.  
• When you sign up for an experiment, select the course to which you would like to apply the extra credit points. Select carefully! **Credit will be assigned to the course selected at sign-up.** No changes will be made.  

Earning Credit...

• Successful completion of a 30 minute study will be worth 0.5 credit.  This translates to 5 points on an exam.  
• Successful completion of a 60 minute study will be worth 1.0 credit.  This translates to 10 points on an exam.  
• Students may earn a total of 1.0 credit (10 points on an exam) in their psychology course. 
• Students can earn 5 points by completing one 30-minute study or the full 10 points by completing two 30-minute studies or one 60-minute study.  

Coming Prepared to the Experiment… 

• You must sign up through the Participant Pool website to participate in an experiment
• You need to bring the ID number issued when you signed up for the session to the experiment
• Experiments start promptly and you must arrive on time to participate
• To receive credit, you must pay attention to the research and make an effort to provide reliable and accurate data     

The Fine Print… 

• Before participating, make sure that your instructor is offering this opportunity in your course
• No more than 10 points can be applied to an exam in any one course
• If you are taking more than one psychology course, you may earn up to 10 points per course
• The deadline to participate in an experiment is Thursday December 7, 2023.

If you have questions, please email the SONA Administrators

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR SIGN-UP 
To logon, go to the SONA website:

Introduction 
The SONA Systems Experiment Management System provides an easy method for you to sign up for extra credit psychology studies and track your progress throughout the term. Everything is done through the software's web-based interface, so you can access the system at any time, from any computer, with a standard web browser.  

Getting Started 
After you log in to the system, you can view a list of available studies and any restrictions, sign up for studies that interest you, and track your progress throughout the semester. The system will track when you receive credits for a study, so you can view this online as well. The system works best if you use any popular web browser that is less than 2 years old, like Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari.  

Requesting an Account 
After typing the web address to Farmingdale's psychology research home page (above) in your browser, click the link that says, "Request an account". You will be prompted for information to create an account. After you sign up, you will receive an immediate email notification from the "Psychology Department Subject Pool" with your login information. The e-mail will include a default password, which you can change after your first login. Keep this e-mail for future reference.  

Logging In 
Once you have your login information, go to the home page and enter your user ID and password. Once you login, you will see a Main Menu including the following headings: My Profile, Study Sign-up and My Schedule and Credits.  Each heading is followed by a description of the activities that can be performed within each section. Your login will expire after a certain period of inactivity, usually 20 minutes. This is done for security purposes. When you are done using the system, it is better to explicitly log out, to prevent any problems that may arise if someone uses your computer before the session expires.  

Email Address  
You must use your Farmingdale email address.  In the system options, you may see the option to add an alternative e-mail.  DO NOT set up an alternative e-mail address.  The College specifically requires the psychology department to communicate with you through your Farmingdale e-mail account.  

Unique ID Codes 
The system will automatically assign a unique, numeric ID code to you. The purpose of the ID code is to identify you to researchers in a way that does not reveal your identity or compromise your privacy. You will see this ID code when you update your profile and in email confirmations and reminders about your upcoming study sessions. You should bring this ID code with you when you go to studies or when communicating with researchers, as they know you only by your ID code, and not your name.  

Signing Up For Studies 
To sign up to participate in a study, find the study you would like to participate in. Click on the study name for more information. You will see a list of any special restrictions or eligibility requirements--you should only sign up for the study if you meet the requirements.  If you sign up and do not meet the restrictions, you will not receive credit for the study.  Choose “View Timeslots for This Study”, find a time slot that fits your schedule then click “Sign Up”.  

Canceling a Sign-Up 
Cancel a time that you have selected from the “My Schedule and Credits” page. 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. There is a time limit before the study is to occur, when it is too late to cancel. Once you click “Cancel” to cancel your sign-up, you will see a confirmation page.