Are the electrodes safe?

Yes! The electrodes simply record naturally occurring electricity that is produced in your brain. We are not altering your brainwaves at all with the electrodes, and they are very commonly used to look at sleep and waking brain activity. 

Can I do the eye tracking studies if I wear glasses or contacts?

Yes, you can! If you need contacts or glasses to see, we do insist you wear them during all eye tracking tasks. We will work with them, though sometimes it is difficult with very strong prescriptions, glasses with strong anti-glare coating, and bi-focals.

Do I have to have a concussion to participate?

In our SCAN concussion research, we need to examine both people who have had a concussion and people who have never had a concussion (controls) to really understand what a concussion does to someone's behavior. So we are looking for both people who have recently had a concussion AND people who have never had a concussion! We also do a number of other research projects that are not concussion-focused at all and we would love for you to participate!

Do I qualify to participate?

For most of our research studies you must be 18 years of age or older to participate. You also must have normal, or corrected-to normal vision. For some, but not all of our studies you must have either had a recent concussion, or have never had a concussion. 

Can I participate in research to get extra credit in my classes?

If you are in a class that allows for psychology research participation for extra credit, we can give you that extra credit through SONA. If you are unsure, feel free to ask your professor or us if this is a possibility. Extra credit points are based on the length of the study and will vary depending on the study (or studies) in which you participate.

Can I participate in research and get paid?

For some of our research projects we are able to pay you for your time in either Amazon or Dunkin' Donuts gift cards (participant's choice). Gift card amounts are based on the length of the study and will vary depending on the study (or studies) in which you participate.

Do I need to be a psychology major to become a research assistant?

No! In fact we have had students of many different majors participate in our data collection. We would discuss with you whether this research would count as an elective course towards your major or as general elective. Feel free to reach out for more information.

Do you collect data over the summer break?

Yes! We will be collecting data over summer breaks - if you are in the area and would like to either help us collect data as part of our team, or if you would like to participate in our studies, please reach out!