The purpose of psychological research is the acquisition of knowledge. A great deal of what we know about human behavior is based on studies conducted at universities like UCI. Serving as a participant in an experiment provides students with direct exposure to psychological research. The descriptions of psychological research that appear in textbooks and scientific journals necessarily omit a great deal of information about what research is really like. Serving as a research participant thus complements what you learn in your courses by giving you a behind-the-scenes look at research.
Each quarter, many undergraduate classes offer extra credit points to students who choose to participate in research experiments through the Human Subjects Lab Pool. If your class offers extra credit for research participation through our Human Subjects Lab, the following should be clearly stated in the course syllabus:
- Participating in research is a purely voluntary opportunity;
- All methods of obtaining extra credit points, including research participation, should be clearly addressed;
- There is a clear hour-to-point conversion factor, so you know exactly how your participation hours/credits will be converted to points in the classroom.
- We recommend you sign up to participate earlier, rather than later, in the quarter. Studies can be added at any time and if you wait too long, you run the risk of not being able to earn all of the credits you want.
- Credits do not roll over to the next quarter. They must be used within the same quarter they are earned.
- Select your courses carefully. Make sure you’ve selected the correct course#, course title, and instructor’s name. You can change this by clicking “Modify contact information” and selecting the “Change Courses” button in your account profile.
- Make sure to assign your credits by the deadline stated on our Sona homepage. No changes or extensions will be granted.
- The credits earned from a single study cannot be split among multiple courses (i.e., if you earn 1 credit for a study, you cannot assign 0.5 credits to one course and 0.5 credits to another course. You must assign the full 1 credit to a single course)
Login your account at https://uci.sona-systems.com/ using your User ID and password. On the Welcome Screen, you will be able to select from:
- Study Sign-Up: Click on the “View Available Studies” button to see currently active studies.
- My Schedule & Credits: You can view and cancel your appointments, and can see how many credits you have earned (including which study and when).
- My Profile: You can modify your password, contact information, and change course selections from this screen. Make sure to click the Update button to save your changes.
- Participant Tutorial Video
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
To create a Participant account, visit the Sona website at: https://uci.sona-systems.com/ Click on the Request Account button on the bottom of the page and complete the requested information (Note: Your User ID must be your UCINetID).
UCI is a multicultural community of people from diverse backgrounds. Our activities, programs, classes, workshops, lectures, and everyday interactions are enriched by our acceptance of one another, and we strive to learn from each other in an atmosphere of positive engagement and mutual respect. UCI students are expected to comply with all laws and with University policies and campus regulations.
If you have been reported for academic misconduct or misbehavior, your ability to participate for extra credit via the HS Lab Pool may be prohibited during the quarter immediately proceeding the report and longer, if applicable.
For further information about Academic Integrity, Student Conduct, and applicable policies and regulations, please refer to the Office of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct’s website.
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