If after you read these instructions you have additional questions, please contact Participant Pool Coordinator (participantpool@jmu.edu). Please allow 1-2 business days for a response.
Psychologists frequently conduct research in which students are the participants. If you are 18 years of age or older, you can participate in the Department of Psychology Research Participation Pool. As a participant, you will benefit from first-hand experience with psychological research.
All students enrolled in PSYC 101 or 160 are expected to earn three units of credit by participating in research studies or by completing online alternate participant pool activities. Either one or a combination of these options may meet the requirements. If you are younger than 18, you may not participate in studies and your only option is to complete the alternate activity.
Deadline
November 22, 2024 at 5:00 pm is the last date to complete all remaining alternative activities or experiments for participation credit.
Registering for Experiments
View a tutorial on how to sign up for studies
Participants sign up for experiments online using the JMU Psychology Research Participation website. By the third week of classes, your password will be sent to your JMU email account by Sona Systems. To login, use your JMU e-ID and the password emailed to you from Sona.
Contributing as a Research Participant
If you choose to participate in research, your rights will be protected. All research conforms to JMU and American Psychological Association (APA) standards for treatment of human research participants. As a volunteer, you have the right to withdraw from a study at any time without penalty to your course grade or standing at JMU. If you withdraw after your participation starts you will still receive credit. All information about participants will be treated confidentially. Participants are encouraged to ask questions about the research.
For each study lasting one hour or less you will receive 1 unit of credit toward your 3-unit requirement. Studies lasting 1-2 hours will receive 2 units. Be aware that brief screening surveys may not offer credit. However, brief screening surveys offer the chance to participate in a longer study that will offer credit.
After signing up for a study, be sure to note the experiment’s date, time, and location. Plan to show up a few minutes early for the study.
Instructions for Cancellation
Students who miss a study without canceling will not be able to sign up for future studies, and will have to earn any further credit from alternate activities.
View a tutorial on how to cancel participation in a study
If you have signed up for a study but cannot attend, you must cancel as soon as possible. Students who cancel at least 1 hour in advance of their scheduled participation will NOT be penalized.
When JMU is closed due to inclement weather, all studies are cancelled during the period the university is closed. Do not show up for studies when the university is closed. In this case you will not be penalized and you will not be awarded credit.
Checking Participation Reservations and Points Earned
To check your earned credits and schedule, log into JMU Psychology Research Participation website and go to “My Schedule/Credits.”
