Psychology research participants
Have you ever wanted to participate in a Psychology research study? We’ve got you covered. The Faculty of Health are always looking for interested participants to support our research.
Sona Systems is an online system that the Faculty of Health at Charles Darwin University uses to manage and schedule research projects within its community. This system allows researchers to add their study and recruit participants from a research pool that consists of persons internal and external to the University community. Any person who is enrolled as a participant in the online system is able to view and participate in current and future research projects.
Launch the CDU Psychology Participant Pool
By participating in our studies you will not only be able to see the way in which concepts and theories about which you have heard work in an applied setting, but you will also become part of the research process and contribute to meaningful knowledge in the many sub-fields of Psychology.
How do I request a participant account?
You can easily obtain a username and password for the CDU Psychology Participant Pool by accessing the front page of the online system then clicking on ‘Request an Account.‘ Clicking on this tab will take you a form that you must complete in order to get access to the available projects.
Note that many projects will require that you be at least 18 years of age.
How do I log in?
Clicking on the above launch link will transfer you to the CDU Psychology Participant Pool online system. Then, enter the username and password you received via email to login. Please change your password when you login for the first time to the online system. You can change your password by clicking on ‘Update my Profile’ at the top of the screen.
What is pre-screening?
The first time you login to the CDU Psychology Participant Pool you will be asked to fill out a pre-screen questionnaire before you can sign up to any projects. This questionnaire is very short and will ask for basic information (e.g., sex, age, handedness), which may help researchers in advertising their projects to particular participants. You can decline to answer most of the questions. You can sign up to projects upon pre-screen completion.
How do I view available projects?
You will see a bar on the top of the landing page - upon logging in to the CDU Psychology Participant Pool – that will enable you to browse a list of available projects. Click on the project title for a description, such as its length, the mode of completion, eligibility criteria and reimbursement. New projects will continually be added throughout the year, so keep checking back for additional participant opportunities or set your notification settings to get updates whenever a bunch of new projects have been added.
How do I sign-up to available projects?
You can see a list of the studies that are currently available to you by clicking on ‘Study Sign-Up’. Click on the name of a study to see its description.
If the project mode is offline (i.e., must be completed in a lab) then you will also see available signup slots. Click on the slot that is suitable to you in order to signup to the project.
You will then receive an email that confirms your enrolment to that project, including the time and place of your slot. You will also receive a reminder email the day prior. If you are unable to attend your scheduled timeslot then you can cancel your appointment by viewing the scheduled timeslots and clicking the ‘Cancel’ button. You can cancel up to 24 hours before a study is to occur, but this timing may vary from one study to the next. You may also be able to cancel your timeslot by contacting the researcher directly via email.
If the project mode is online (i.e., can be completed anywhere) then you will not see any signup slots. You can signup to this study by clicking on the appropriate link to take the survey or begin the experiment. There is no cancellation requirements for these projects. You may be able to contact the researcher directly via email should you have any questions.
Will I get reimbursed?
Depending on the project to which you signup, you may be reimbursed for your time (course credit if available, cash payment, gift voucher, etc.).
If you have signed up to an offline study then you will receive this reimbursement in-person from the researcher. If, however, you have signed up to an online study then you may only earn a gift card for reimbursement and that will be sent to you via email from the researcher. When asked, you must supply your e-mail address to the researcher in order to receive this reimbursement.
Some studies with reimbursement available may provide prizes to randomly selected participants.