Lab Etiquette

Always Keep Kristina McCravey in The Loop

Kristina, our lab manager, manages a lot and needs to know when people plan to start and finish running a study, what equipment they'll need, how many electrodes she needs to purchase, IRB status etc.

Sensors not Electrodes!

When a participant is present, refer to anything relating to electricity with another less dangerous sounding phrase.

Electrodes = Sensors/Stickers

Ground = the middle plug or the reference sensor

Thunderstorm Delay/Cancelation = Computer Issues

Data Storage During Data Collection

Store all project related files in the "C:/Experiments" directory. Create your own folder for your projects.

Log out of the computer before you leave so the computer will be password protected.

Log Out of Any Accounts in Your Browser

Don't leave your Dropbox, OneDrive, Facebook, email, etc. logged in.

Software Installation

Confirm with Kristina McCravey before installing any software.

Moving Equipment

Talk to Kristina McCravey and get permission to move equipment.

A lot of our equipment was not meant to be moved and unplugged/plugged back in, so it is important to make sure that relocating it will not damage it.

Disposable Electrodes

Close the electrode bag when you have removed what you need! They will dry out otherwise. Some of these bags cost upwards of $100, so don't forget to ensure they're closed before you leave for the day.

Reusable Electrodes

Clean these electrodes gently with distilled water from a wash bottle and a Q-Tip after each participant and before you leave for the day. Otherwise, the electrode can corrode. Do not rinse with tap water. Always do the final rinse with distilled water. We all know Lubbock water is super hard and this will contribute to corrosion. Our reusable facial EMG electrodes cost about $40 each and will have to be replaced if corroded.

Sitting in on Data Collection

If you're going to be watching or working with someone while they collect data, keep these things in mind.

• Don't go into the room where the participant is unless told to by the researcher in charge. If the researcher is in the same room as the participant and you need to contact them, text/call/email/IM them unless it is an emergency.
• Don't talk too loud. The walls are thin and either your participants or someone else's participants can likely hear you.
• Try to keep the number of people in the room to a minimum. We keep the temperature around 74 degrees for optimal GSR measurement. However, if too many people are sitting in it gets pretty miserable. No one wants to collect data for 4 hours in an 80+ degree room, so if there are too many people, sit in another time.
• Be mindful of who is in the lab. You don't want to drop an F-bomb in front of a 4 year old and their parent waiting to participate in a study.

End of Data Collection

When you finish collecting all the data for a study, be sure to clean up the room you were running in.

• Wipe off desks/tables
• Pick up any trash and rogue electrodes from the floor
• Back up data to OneDrive or a portable hard drive, then delete from any lab computers.
• Download, then delete data from Qualtrics.
• Let Kristina know when you're done collecting data so she can coordinate with other researchers.