Paid Participants Studies List

The Paid Participant Studies List is hosted on the Psychology Graduate Student Council website. While most studies here are conducted in the Psychology Department, other departments recruiting participants are welcome to advertise. Anyone is welcome to sign up for the mailing list.

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Current Studies

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many studies are moved to online platforms, please read the study locations carefully before you register.

We welcome both the general public and students, and please check the eligibility requirements for each study.

Last updated: 2022 Nov 28

Understanding the Social Networks of Adults 50+ With Mental Health Concerns in BC

Researcher: Dr. Carolyn Szostak, Angeliki-Iliana Louloudi, Kendra Corman, Tanyapreet Kaur, Carley Paterson.

Description: You will complete an online survey. The survey includes general demographic questions, mental health and well-being questions, and questions relating to relationships with key people in your social network. The survey can be done on a computer or a mobile device (smartphone or tablet).

Eligibility: Adults over the age of 50 years old, have a mental health concern like anxiety or depression (does not need to be diagnosed by a doctor), Live in an Urban community in British Columbia (population of 20,000 people or over).

Location: online survey through Qualtrics, https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6YbBnhhFskVOJTw.

Contact Information:  Carolyn.szostak@ubc.ca, angelalo@student.ubc.ca

Reimbursement/ Time: The survey should take about 1 hour to complete. It may take 30-90 minutes depending on how many people are in your circle. In the end, participants will get a chance to enter a draw for a chance to win one of five $100 prizes.

Study End Date: The survey closes on February 20, 2023.

Individual versus shared practice for the learning of a polyrhythm task

Researchers: Elise Saplywy (RA), Aneesha Mehta (RA), Ryan Jin (RA), Minghao Ma (RA), Charlie Sushams (RA), Dr April Karlinsky (Asst. Professor), Dr Matthew Scott (Postdoc) and Dr. Nicola Hodges (Professor, PI; School of Kinesiology, UBC)

Description: Participants will practice a rhythmic finger-tapping task alone or with a partner, trying to learn the timing of the rhythm as accurately as possible. This study will require attendance across two consecutive days (estimated 1.5-2 total hours).

Eligibility: In order to participate in this study you must meet all of the following requirements: 1) 18-39 years old, 2) right-hand dominant, 3) no current injury to the wrists and hands, 4) normal or corrected vision and hearing, 5) no known neurological disorders, 6) not a musician (i.e., no significant training in playing a musical instrument with max. of 4 years of piano training as a child (please inform the researcher about all music training), 7) good understanding of English, 8) no previous participation in a similar study conducted by the School of Kinesiology’s Motor Skills Lab (if in doubt, please check with the researcher), 9) Fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Location: Room 300 and room 26 in War Memorial Gym. However, please always meet in War Memorial Gym, Room 300.

Contact Information: Please contact the UBC Motor Skills Laboratory at kin.msl@ubc.ca. Please include “Rhythms” or “polyrhythm” in the subject line of your email.

Reimbursement/Time: The study will take place across 2 days in a row. Day 1 will take 1-1.5 hours and Day 2 will take 30min (total time: 1.5-2 hours). Participants will be paid $15.65/hour.

Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted Nov 16.

Sequency Learning Dyad Keypress (In-person)

Researcher: Aneesha Mehta (RA), Georgia Grieve, Dr. Matthew Scott and Dr. Nicola Hodges (PI; School of Kinesiology, UBC)

Description: One-off research participant for research project in the School of Kinesiology (right-handed females only). You will be asked to come to the War Memorial Gym to take part in a study looking at the cognitive and behavioural processes involved in motor learning. We will study how people practice and learn various patterns of keystrokes across two days of practice. This study requires attendance of 2 sessions (1 session/day for 2 consecutive days). Day 1 will last approximately 1h 15 minutes. Day 2 will last approximately 30 minutes. Participants may, or may not, learn the task with another participant (depending on group allocation).

Eligibility: In order to participate in this study, you must meet all of the following requirements:

  • Female adult (age 18-35)
  • Right-hand dominant
  • Normal vision or wear corrective lenses
  • No injury to the right hand
  • Must be English speaking
  • Must be vaccinated against COVID-19
  • No known neurological disorders
  • No previous participation in a similar study (involving keystroke patterns) conducted by the Motor Skills Laboratory (if in doubt, please check with Aneesha, email: Kin.msl@ubc.ca)

Location: Room 24A (basement level) in the War Memorial Gym (6081 University Blvd; http://www.maps.ubc.ca/PROD/index_detail.php?locat1=428).

Contact Information: If you meet the qualifications below, please email Aneesha to indicate interest (resume NOT required). In your email provide a UBC email (if applicable), a phone number and your availability over the coming weeks. Please include “ATTN: Keypress” in the subject line of your e-mail.

Reimbursement/Time: The study is estimated to take up to 2 hours across the two days. Participants will be reimbursed $15.65 per hour.

Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted Nov 16.

NPC Behaviour in VR Worlds

Researcher: Michael Yin (grad student), Robert Xiao (PI)

Description: We are looking into the range of expected NPC behaviour in immersive virtual reality. Participants will be asked about their present experience with NPCs in games, and then wear a VR headset to enact a number of various scenarios and discuss various outcomes with the researcher.

Eligibility: Participants must be at least 18 years old and have experience playing video games.

Location: ICICS Building (2366 Main Mall), Room 306A.

Contact Information: If interested, please contact me (Michael) at jiyin@cs.ubc.ca, with the word “Study” somewhere in the subject line.

Reimbursement/Time: The study is estimated to take 60 minutes. Participants will be reimbursed $16 / hour.

Study End Date: ongoing. Posted 2022 Nov 7

High and low-level vision in autism

Researcher: Todd Kamensek (graduate student) and Dr. Ipek Oruc (PI)
Description: You are invited to participate in a study evaluating one’s face recognition abilities. The study involves completing a few questionnaires and a few tests on the computer.
Eligibility: Participants must be at least 16 years old with normal or corrected-to-normal vision.
Location: Blusson Spinal Cord Center, 818 W 10th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9
Contact Information: Please contact Todd Kamensek at todd.kamensek@ubc.ca if you are interested in participating or have any questions.
Reimbursement/Time: Participants will receive $10 compensation per hour at the lab. The study should take between 2 and 4 hours.
Study End Date: Dec 31, 2022.

Supporting Older Adults to Learn Information Technology

Researcher: Dr. Joanna McGrenere (principal investigator), Teerapaun Tanprasert (graduate student), Thitaree Tanprasert (graduate student)

Description: The goal of this study is to evaluate a software designed to help older adults learn to do tasks on their personal computer. You will be asked to answer a short questionnaire on your backgrounds and experience with technology, perform new tasks (e.g., create an event on a digital calendar) on a laptop we provide with the researcher’s guidance, then talk to us about your learning experiences.

Eligibility:
● Are older adults (aged 65+)
● Have at least one year experience using a personal computer (desktop or laptop) – no maximum cap on level of comfort or experience with technology
● Have used a video-conferencing tool (e.g., Zoom, FaceTime) at least 3 times
● Have the manual dexterity to operate everyday digital devices, such as a keyboard and smartphone
● Be in good health, free of diagnosed cognitive, visual or hearing impairments
● Speak English fluently

Location: a quiet place of mutual convenience with Wi-Fi in Vancouver, such as your home, a community centre, or a UBC research lab

Contact Information: If you are interested in participating or would like more information, please fill in this online survey, https://tinyurl.com/ubc-support-tech-learning, or contact Teerapaun at ttaa2021@cs.ubc.ca.

Reimbursement/Time: You will receive a $25 honorarium for your participation (plus a maximum of $25 reimbursement for commute expense if you travel to UBC). The study takes 1 to 1.5 hours.

Study End Date: December 2022

Cantonese Perception, Recognition, and Processing

Researcher: Rachel Soo (Co-Investigator) and Molly Babel (PI)

Description: Cantonese talkers will complete language questionnaires, and listening tasks where they judge Cantonese sounds.

Eligibility: To be eligible for the study, you must:

  • be born and raised in Hong Kong,
  • be able to speak and understand Cantonese (knowing how to read Chinese characters is *NOT* necessary)
  • have no known hearing or linguistic deficits

Location: Online. If you are interested in participating, please sign up at https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_espJ5DsNkcAZ1si to get access to the experiment link.

Contact Information: Rachel Soo, Rachel.soo@ubc.ca

Reimbursement/Time: The lasts 40-50 minutes and participants will be compensated with a $10 Amazon gift card.

Study End Date: 8/31/2023

Investigating Cognitive Factors Associated with Gambling

Researcher: Brittney Russell (graduate student), Dr. Catharine Winstanley (PI)

Description: The study contains a single 2-3 hour test session. Prior to the test session, we will arrange a telephone call to ask some questions about your general health, mental health and gambling behavior to confirm your eligibility for the study. During the test session, you will first undergo a structured clinical interview with a member of our team and will privately complete questionnaires regarding your personality and gambling, before being asked to complete some computerized tasks. The tasks involve choosing between two probability scenarios and will be accompanied by eye tracking, done non-invasively using a special apparatus with a small camera.

Eligibility:

  • You are between the ages of 30 and 65 years old
  • You are fully vaccinated for COVID-19
  • You are able to read, write and speak fluent English
  • You have not experienced problems associated with gambling
  • You do not have a history of/current neurological illness, head injury or psychiatric hospitalization
  • You do not have any ongoing problems with mental health (e.g., depression/anxiety) or substances
  • You have not started (or changed) any medication or medication dose in the past 6 weeks

Location: Vancouver General Hospital’s Eye Care Centre (360A-2550 Willow Street)

Contact Information: to participate, email brittney.russell@psych.ubc.ca

Reimbursement/Time: You will be compensated $30 for your time and will earn bonus payment on the computer tasks. We will also reimburse any transit or parking expenses.

Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted 2022 Oct 6

Feasibility study of long-term light and ion therapy for maintenance treatment in depression (LIMIT-D) (In-person)

Researcher: Dr. Raymond Lam, Department of Psychiatry

Description: The UBC Mood Disorders Centre at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health is now recruiting for a feasibility study exploring the use of two separate non-medication treatments, light therapy and ion therapy, as maintenance treatment in major depression. We are interested in exploring factors affecting the two treatments as maintenance treatments (to help prevent the return of symptoms) instead of medications in people with Major Depressive Disorders who wish to stop their antidepressant treatment.

Participation would include daily use of a bright light device or ion device provided by our clinic for 6 months, as well as regularly completing self-rated scales and meeting the study doctor for assessments. However, half of the treatment devices have been modified so that they are inactive (placebo). You have a 1 in 2 chance (like flipping a coin) of receiving an active or an inactive device.

Eligibility: We are looking for people who:

  • are 19-65 years old;
  • meet criteria for major depressive disorder (not bipolar disorder) and have had two or more episodes of depression;
  • are currently taking an antidepressant for depression, and have taken it continuously for at least 3 months and no more than 12 months, with no dose change in the past month
  • are interested in or are considering stopping your antidepressant
  • are feeling well (no longer depressed) and in remission, according to a clinical interview
  • do not have a seasonal pattern of depressive episodes (seasonal affective disorder)
  • have no other major medical conditions or psychiatric conditions (except for major depressive disorder);
  • do not have a problem with substance use currently or within the past 6 months.

Location: UBC Mood Disorders Centre, at the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health

Contact information: Jing Liu Lam.MDDResearch2@ubc.ca

Reimbursement/Time: $15 per visit (1-2 hours)

Study End Date: Sep 2024

Visual-motor experience and motor imagery in hand gestures (In-person)

Researcher: Ryan Jin (RA), Carrie Peters, Dr. Matthew Scott, Dr. Sarah Kraeutner, and Dr. Nicola Hodges (PI; School of Kinesiology, UBC)
Description: Participants are needed for a UBC study to investigate processes used in motor imagery. In this research study we examine motor imagery processes before and after physical and observational practice. Participants may or may not practice with a partner. This study is being run by the Motor Skills Lab in the School of Kinesiology by principal investigator Dr. Nicola Hodges.
Eligibility: In order to participate in this study, you must meet all of the following requirements:
  • Between 18 and 50 years old
  • No experience with visual sign languages (such as American Sign Language)
  • Right-hand dominant for most skills
  • Normal to corrected-to-normal vision
  • No known physical disorders or injuries to impede full body movement
  • No known neurological disorders
  • Must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19
  • Must be able to understand and speak English
Location: 300A in the War Memorial Gym (6081 University Blvd; http://www.maps.ubc.ca/PROD/index_detail.php?locat1=428).
Contact Information: If you meet the eligibility criteria, please email kin.msl@ubc.ca and include “Motor imagery” in the subject line. In your email, please include a UBC email (if available), a phone number, your gender and availability over the next two weeks.
Reimbursement/Time: The study is estimated to take up to 1 hour and 45 minutes across one visit. Participants will be reimbursed $15.65 per hour.
Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted Sept 20, 2022

Eye movements as a sensitive indicator of trait impulsivity

Researcher: Miriam Spering (Primary investigator) and Juana Ayala (graduate student)

Description: This study seeks to relate impulse control to hypomania/mania proneness using sensitive tests based on naturally occurring and instinctive eye movements in a cohort of young, undiagnosed, adults. During the session you will first complete a number of short assessments to test your vision, personality traits, and cognitive abilities.You will then view visual stimuli on a computer monitor while your eye movements are being recorded.

Eligibility: To participate you must:

  • be between 19-40 years old.
  • have normal or corrected-to-normal visual acuity.
  • have no history of bipolar disorder
  • have no history of eye disease (such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, or “lazy eye”), traumatic brain injury (in the last two years), or stroke.
  • not be currently on medication to treat a psychiatric disorder.
  • not be experiencing ongoing symptoms of depression.

Location: This study will be conducted at UBC campus in the ICICS building, room X715 (2366 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC).

Contact Information: If you meet the eligibility criteria and are interested in participating in our study please contact Juana Ayala at jmayala3@student.ubc.ca.

Reimbursement/Time: This study will be conducted in one session taking up to 2 hours. You will receive $10 per hour of study participation (rounded up to the nearest 15 min interval).

Study End Date: May 2023.

Eye tracking and face processing in bilingual and monolingual adults

Researcher:  Brendan Tao (RA) and Dr. Jason Barton (PI)
Description: This research study is looking at how bilingualism and monolingualism can affect how we process language cues from the face (e.g. lipreading) and social cues from the face (e.g. identity and emotion). We will show you images and videos of faces on a screen. Some videos will also have sound playing. You will need to tell us if the face is the same as another face we showed you before, what the person said, and what emotion they were displaying. You will do this by pressing buttons on a keyboard. We will track where your eyes are looking on the screen through these tests. We do not touch your eyes or make a video recording of your face.
Eligibility: 18+ years of age, English as your first and preferred language, monolingual or bilingual in another spoken language, not fluent in a signed language, with normal or corrected-to-normal vision, typical hearing without a hearing aid or cochlear implant, no history of neurological illness or language disorders.
We are looking for MONOLINGUAL adults who did not grow up in a bilingual environment and do not know a second spoken language to a highly proficient level (high school level is OK).
AND we are looking for BILINGUAL adults who did grow up in a bilingual environment and know a second spoken language to a highly proficient level.
Location: The experiment will take place at the Human Vision and Eye Movement Lab at the Eye Care Centre, VGH, 2550 Willow Street, Vancouver, V5Z 0A6.
Contact Information: If you are interested, take a short survey to find out if you are eligible for the study. After completing the survey, IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE, a researcher will contact you to set up the research appointment:
If you have any questions about the study, please email Brendan at taob1@student.ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time: This involves one in-person research visit. The study will take approximately 1hr to complete. To say thank you, participants will receive an Amazon gift card for taking part.

Study End Date: September 30th 2022

A Tool for Designing Mid-Air Hand Interactions in VR (In-Person)

Researcher: Anika Sayara, Dongwook Yoon

Description: In this study, you will be trying out a cool Virtual Reality (VR) Prototyping Tool for Hand-Based Interactions using Oculus Quest 2. After a brief orientation, you will take part in a guided design task where a member of the research team will provide you step by step instructions for creating and testing a hand based interaction in VR. After that you will complete an unguided design task where you will be asked to ideate and design a freehand interaction of your choice using our tool. During the unguided design task, you are expected to think aloud. Later you will fill out a short usability survey and take part in an open ended interview where you will be asked about your experience of using the proposed tool. The entire study will be completed in a single session of 60 minutes with 10 minutes for tool orientation, 20 minutes for guided design task, 20 minutes for unguided design task, 5 minutes for filling out the survey on Qualtrics, and 5 minutes for answering questions about your experience of using the tool.

Eligibility:

  • Be of age 19 years or older.
  • Have experience in using prototyping tools
  • Is familiar with Augmented Reality (AR) or Virtual Reality (VR). No extensive experience is required, but some familiarity is useful.

Location: ICICS (2366 Main Mall V6T 1Z4), Room 306A

Contact Information: Please contact Anika Sayara at sayanika.cse@gmail.com

Reimbursement/Time: $40 for an hour long session

Study End Date: 13 September, 2022

Singlehood Experiences and Transitions (Online)

Researcher: Dr. Yuthika Girme (Principal Investigator) and Hannah Dupuis (Graduate Researcher)

Description: For romantically single adults (18+) currently residing in Canada. In this longitudinal study, you will be asked to meet with the Project Manager, Hannah, via zoom to ensure you meet eligibility requirements and understand the longitudinal nature of this research. Following this, you will be sent a baseline survey with questions about yourself and your dating and sexual experiences as a single person. Every 3-months for the following 15 months, you will be sent a follow-up survey with similar questions.

Eligibility: We are looking for people who are romantically single (i.e., not involved in a romantic relationship), who are over the age of 18 and currently residing in Canada. 

Location: Initial screening interviews will be conducted online via zoom. Surveys will be administered online.

Contact Information: Email Hannah at closer@sfu.ca to express interest or ask further questions!

Reimbursement/Time: Participants can earn up to $55 total. They will be reimbursed $15 in Canadian Amazon vouchers for the 30-minute baseline survey and $10 in Canadian Amazon vouchers for each of the 15-minute follow-up surveys ($15 + 4 x $10 = 55). There are a total of 5 surveys involved in this research (1 baseline, 4 follow-up) that will require around 1.5 hours of time across the 15 month study period. Participants who complete all 5 surveys will be entered in a draw to win one of three $200 gift vouchers.

Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted 2022 Sept 5.

Daily Mobility Patterns

Researcher: Melanie Butt, Dr. Todd C. Handy

Description: The purpose of this study is to assess the relationship between cognitive functioning, mood, and daily mobility patterns, i.e. distance and time spent away from home. Over the course of two weeks, your daily movements will be tracked via Google Maps, and you will complete short, daily, self-report assessments of your cognitive status and mood.

You will also complete multiple self-report assessments of your cognitive status and mood, as well as a demographics questionnaire, during two in-lab sessions. You will also be asked to share your Google Maps location data at the end of the study, which will be collected through your Google account via your smartphone device. No identifying information will be stored in connection to your location data, which will be anonymized from the time of export of your data. If you would like to view the consent form prior to signing up for the study, or have any questions about the procedure, feel free to contact the researcher, Melanie Butt (mbutt@psych.ubc.ca).

Note: there are 3 parts to this study: 2 in-lab sessions (30 minutes each) and a daily survey component (<5 minutes/day), totalling 2 hours of participation.

Eligibility: In order to participate, you must

  • be 18 years or older,
  • be an undergraduate or graduate student OR have recently graduated from UBC,
  • have a Google account,
  • have a smartphone capable of downloading Google Maps, and
  • be capable of leaving your home daily (e.g., not currently be under quarantine or isolation due to COVID-19).

Location: Douglas Kenny Building (2136 West Mall), Room 3407

Contact Information: To sign up for participation, please contact attentionlab@psych.ubc.ca, and include “Daily Mobility Patterns Study” in the subject line.

Reimbursement/Time: $20 Amazon gift card for 2 hours

Study End Date: December 2022

Cognition-oriented guidelines for facilitation of Complex Problem-Solving (CPS) (In person)

Researcher: Yingting Chen, Prof. Konstantin Beznosov (PI)

Description: We are now looking for participants to work in groups and solve café operational problems in a virtual scenario. The outcome of this experiment will be used to develop facilitation guidelines for problem-solving collaboration with and without technologies.
  • Experiment settings: You will be randomly assigned to either one of the meeting formats in face-to-face, online-only, or hybrid. 
    • Face-to-face: you will participate the experiment in dyad from the same meeting room
    • Online-only: you will participate the experiment in dyad from different meeting rooms through zoom
Eligibility: 19 years old or older; those can communicate, read, and write in English fluently
Location: All sessions will take place in 4th-floor meeting rooms, Fred Kaiser Building at UBC. No remote session will be conducted.
Contact Information: Yingting Chen (chen-yingting@g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp)
Reimbursement/Time: $30 Amazon gift card for 2.5 hours
Study End Date: October 17th, 2022

Effect of behavioural tasks on capsaicin-induced secondary hyperalgesia (In-person)

Researcher: Nicole Bailey (MSc student), Dr. John (Kip) Kramer (PI)

Description: Participants will be asked to fill out a demographics survey and three questionnaires (15 minutes in total). Participants will then come to ICORD for a single 90 minute testing session. Pinpricks tests will be conducted to assess mechanical pain perception. Pinpricks will feel sharp but will not pierce skin. Participants will undergo a short behavioural task and have capsaicin cream applied to their forearm. During four 10 minute periods of the experiment, cardiac outcomes will be recorded by a Finometer Pro, which non-invasively monitors cardiac outcomes with an inflatable finger cuff.

Eligibility:

  • English speaking adults between the ages 19 and 45 (inclusive) who are able to provide informed consent.
  • Must be free of chronic pain (pain lasting >3 months) and not taking any psychoactive medication.
  • Cannot be pregnant or breastfeeding.
  • Must be free of neurological or psychiatric condition (e.g., neuropathic pain, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar, fibromyalgia, spinal cord injury, etc.).
  • Cannot have had previous negative reactions to topical capsaicin application, or have skin disorders or tattoos on the forearm.
  • No alcohol or other drug use in the 24-hours prior to testing.
  • No smoking, vaping, exercising or consuming coffee one hour prior to experimentation.
  • No participation in a previous study that involved a public speech.

Location: Blusson Spinal Cord Centre (818 W 10th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9)

Contact Information: Please contact Nicole Bailey at nicoleba@student.ubc.ca or 604-675-8876

Reimbursement/Time: Participants will be asked to come to Blusson Spinal Cord Centre for a 90 minute in-person testing session. Prior to the testing day, participants will be asked to fill out a short demographics form, COVID-19 survey, and 3 short questionnaires on UBC-hosted Qualtrics, which will take 15 minutes total. An honorarium for participation is available.

Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted July 26, 2022

Line IT (online)

Researcher: Ronald Rensink (PI), Sherry Wang (Project Leader), Flora Zhi (Project Leader), Olivia Xu, Taina Dauzaker

Description: Are our visual systems smarter than we think? We want to investigate whether changing the global configuration of the display will affect the time it takes to find the target. Participants will complete a visual search task on their computer.

Eligibility:

  • Must be between 18-35 years of age. Please make sure your internet has enough bandwidth to share your screen with us for the duration of the study.

Location: Online (zoom)

Contact Information: Flora Zhi fzhi@student.ubc.ca

Reimbursement/Time: $10 for approximately 50 minutes of study

Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted July 15, 2022

Adaptation to ozone in individuals with asthma or exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB; In-person)

Researcher: Patric Gonçalves (M.Sc student), Dr. Michael Koehle (Principal Investigator)

Description: Participants will be asked to exercise on a stationary bike, in our lab, for 30min at a moderate exercise intensity while breathing a controlled and safe level of ozone. Participant will visit our laboratory to exercise for 5 consecutive days. After a period of at least two days, participant will come back to the lab to perform another 5 days of the same exercise. Reach out to us if you have respiratory symptoms during or after exercise but unsure whether you have asthma or EIB.

Eligibility:

  • Inclusion criteria:
    • 18 – 50 years old
    • Physically active
    • Non-smoker
    • Have been diagnosed or have symptoms of asthma and/or mild exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (testing will be performed on the first visit
    • Able to communicate in English
  • Exclusion criteria:
    • Pregnant or potentially pregnant (risk of ozone exposure for the fetus)
    • Musculoskeletal injuries in the lower limb that could interfere with cycling exercise
    • Cardiorespiratory diseases other than asthma or EIB or vascular diseases
    • Under supplementation with antioxidant, vitamins E or C, antihypertensives, beta blockers

Location: Environmental Physiology Laboratory at Medical Sciences Block C (UBC Vancouver), Room 118. 2176 Health Sciences Mall. Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3

Contact Information: Patric Gonçalves -patricog@alumni.ubc.ca

Reimbursement/Time:

  • $30 per visit ($300 total)
  • Free VO2max test (cardiorespiratory fitness)
  • Free spirometry test (lung function)
  • Free test for exercise-induced asthma (Eucapnic Voluntary Hyperventilation test)

Time:

  • Each visit will last up to 2h
  • Total number of visits: 10
  • Total time commitment: 16h

Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted on July 14, 2022

ROAR CANADA: Craving Associations to Relevant Electroencephalography Signals (CARES; In-person)

Researcher: Tanisse Teale and Dr. Christian Schutz
Description: Craving has been highly discussed in as a central risk factor in addiction research but what is not known is the pattern of craving over an extended period of abstinence. ROAR CANADA CARES utilizes electroencephalography (EEG) to identify neural markers that show craving through a computer picture task. We are also using a control group, which includes individuals without a history of psychiatric disorder or substance use disorder, to help us understand what results may be generalizable to every person and which results are specific to having a concurrent disorder.
Eligibility:
  • 19 or older
  • Proficient in English
  • Healthy (including no current psychiatric illness or substance dependence, and no history of major head injury)
Location: 430 – 5950 University Blvd – David Strangway Building, Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z3
Contact Information: BRAIN Lab Research Team, brainlab.cares@ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time: Up to $60, 6 sessions once a month for 5 months, totalling 6 hours (sessions can range from 35 minutes to 60 minutes)
Study End Date: February 2023

Visual-motor experience and motor imagery in hand gestures (In-person)

Researcher: Minghao Ma (RA), Ryan Jin (RA), Carrie Peters, Dr. Matthew Scott, Dr. Sarah Kraeutner, and Dr. Nicola Hodges (PI; School of Kinesiology, UBC)
Description: Participants are needed for a UBC study to investigate processes used in motor imagery. In this research study we examine motor imagery processes before and after physical and observational practice. Participants will practice with a partner. This study is being run by the Motor Skills Lab in the School of Kinesiology by principal investigator Dr. Nicola Hodges.
Eligibility: In order to participate in this study, you must meet all of the following requirements:
  • Between 18 and 50 years old
  • No experience with visual sign languages (such as American Sign Language)
  • Right-hand dominant for most skills
  • Normal to corrected-to-normal vision
  • No known physical disorders or injuries to impede full body movement
  • No known neurological disorders
  • Must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19
  • Must be able to understand and speak English
Location: 300A in the War Memorial Gym (6081 University Blvd; http://www.maps.ubc.ca/PROD/index_detail.php?locat1=428).
Contact Information: If you meet the eligibility criteria, please email kin.msl@ubc.ca and include “Motor imagery” in the subject line. In your email, please include a UBC email (if available), a phone number, your gender and availability over the next two weeks.
Reimbursement/Time: The study is estimated to take up to 1 hour and 45 minutes across one visit. Participants will be reimbursed $15.65 per hour.
Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted June 30 2022

SHIVA perceptual modes experiment

Researcher: Sogol Ghattan, Tainá Dauzaker, Katerina Li, Christine Song, Kevin Zhang, Isabel Zorrila, Ronald Rensink (PI)
Description:  We are investigating various possible influences on visual search, an experimental paradigm used to study the attentional processing of visual stimuli. Furthermore, we are interested in discovering a predictable relationship, if any, which exists between the viewing of particular stimuli and participants’ mode of attentional engagement.
Eligibility:
  • Online: In order to participate, your computer screen must be at least 16cm in height (not including the bevels). You must also be willing to share your screen and turn on your webcam for the duration of the experiment.
  • In-person: being able to come to the UBC campus Kenny building.
Location:  UBC Kenny Building , Room 3204
Contact Information: 
Reimbursement/Time: $10 for approximately 40 minutes of study
Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted June 23, 2022

Visual and Kinesthetic Contributions (In-person)

Researcher: Annika Szarka, Braelyn Gandossi, Gregg Eschelmuller, Romeo Chua (PI)

Description: We are conducting a number of studies designed to examine the interactions between vision and kinesthesis in the control and adaptation of voluntary movement. We are interested in the role of sensory and error signals in motor control. In this study, you will be asked to make reaching movements in response to visual targets. Your primary goal will be to make target-directed reaches as quickly and accurately as possible under a variety of visual and kinesthetic sensory conditions. A computer-controlled motion analysis system will be used to monitor eye and hand movements. Visual and kinesthetic stimuli will be presented via visual displays and muscle vibration, respectively.

Eligibility: You may be able to participate if:

  • Age 18-35
  • Right-Handed
  • Have normal or corrected vision
  • No known neurological disorder
  • Fully vaccinated for COVID-19

Location: Room 202, Osborne Ctr Unit 2, 6108 Thunderbird Blvd, UBC Vancouver Campus

Contact Information: If you are interested in participating, please send an email to pmdlab.ubc@gmail.com. We will be in touch with further study information and scheduling.

Reimbursement/Time: The study consists of one session of testing, approximately 60-75 minutes. Participants will receive a $10 honorarium for participation.

Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted June 14.

Exploring Eating and Mental Health in a Daily Diary Study (Online)

Researcher: Arezoo Shahnaz (graduate student), Dr. E. David Klonsky (Principal Investigator)

Description: We are looking for young adults (age 18-35) to participate in a daily diary study on eating behaviours, mental health, and suicide. This research will help mental health professionals better understand and meet the needs of people who experience eating concerns and suicidal thoughts. This research would not be possible without the support of interested participants.

The study involves one brief virtual visit (video call) to get set up and answering short questionnaires 3 times a day for 7 days using your smartphone (iPhone/android).

Eligibility: In order to participate, you must

  • Be between the ages of 18-35
  • Currently reside in British Columbia
  • Own a smartphone capable of downloading apps (ExpiWell)
  • Engage in certain eating behaviours AND experience suicidal thoughts

Location: Online

Contact Information: If you are interested, take a short survey to find out if you are eligible for the study. After completing the survey, IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE, a researcher will contact you to set up the initial visit:

https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bpcnd63kXzrjZ78

Reimbursement/Time: If you are eligible for the study, you will attend one brief virtual visit (video call) to get set up and answering short questionnaires 3 times a day for 7 days using your smartphone(iPhone/android). You will have the opportunity to earn up to $55 in Amazon.ca gift cards

Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted 2022 June 3rd.

Sequency Learning Dyad Keypress (In-person)

Researcher: Aneesha Mehta (RA), Georgia Grieve, Dr. Matthew Scott and Dr. Nicola Hodges (PI; School of Kinesiology, UBC)

Description: One-off research participant for research project in the School of Kinesiology (right-handed females only). You will be asked to come to the War Memorial Gym to take part in a study looking at the cognitive and behavioural processes involved in motor learning. We will study how people practice and learn various patterns of keystrokes across two days of practice. This study requires attendance of 2 sessions (1 session/day for 2 consecutive days). Day 1 will last approximately 1h 15 minutes. Day 2 will last approximately 30 minutes. Participants may, or may not, learn the task with another participant (depending on group allocation).

Eligibility: In order to participate in this study, you must meet all of the following requirements:

  • Female adult (age 18-35)
  • Right-hand dominant
  • Normal vision or wear corrective lenses
  • No injury to the right hand
  • Must be English speaking
  • Must be vaccinated against COVID-19
  • No known neurological disorders
  • No previous participation in a similar study (involving keystroke patterns) conducted by the Motor Skills Laboratory (if in doubt, please check with Aneesha, email: Kin.msl@ubc.ca)

Location: Room 24A (basement level) in the War Memorial Gym (6081 University Blvd; http://www.maps.ubc.ca/PROD/index_detail.php?locat1=428).

Contact Information: If you meet the qualifications below, please email Aneesha to indicate interest (resume NOT required). In your email provide a UBC email (if applicable), a phone number and your availability over the coming weeks. Please include “ATTN: Keypress” in the subject line of your e-mail.

Reimbursement/Time: The study is estimated to take up to 2 hours across the two days. Participants will be reimbursed $16.65 per hour.

Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted May 30, 2022

Gaze Behaviour & Postural Control (In-person)

Researcher: Emma Reiter (MSc student) & Dr. Mark Carpenter (PI)

Description: This study seeks to understand how this gaze behaviour interacts with postural control. The study will involve seated and standing trials with different simple eye movement tasks. Different aspects of balance and muscle control will be measured during the trials (e.g. forceplates, EMG).

Eligibility:

  • We are recruiting healthy control participants between the ages of 18-40 years old.
  • Normal or corrected-to-normal vision is required (i.e. glasses or contact lenses are okay, but no bifocal lenses).
  • If you have any causes of balance or cognitive impairment or have had eye surgery or eye disease you are not eligible to participate at this time.

Location: Neural Control of Posture and Movement Laboratory, R.F. Osborne Center Unit 2 (6108 Thunderbird Blvd), UBC

Contact Information: If you are interested in participating, please send an email to Emma at emma.reiter@ubc.ca. We will be in touch with further study information and scheduling.

Reimbursement/Time: The study consists of one session of testing, approximately 2.5 hours in length. Participants will receive a $10 honorarium for participation.

Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted May 30, 2022

Bipolar Disorder Imaging Study (In-person)

Researcher: MSc Student: Karling Luciani, PI: Dr. Christian Schutz

Description: The UBC B.R.A.I.N Lab hopes to better understand impulsivity differences between people with Bipolar Disorder (BD) and healthy individuals. Specifically, this study will look at:

  1. The link between regions of brain activity and impulsivity
  2. A non-invasive intervention called repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to help reduce the risk of impulsive behaviors.
  3. This study will be the baseline for further exploration of impulsivity and inhibition as part of decision-making processes in BD individuals.

In over 4 visits (10.5-11.5 hours in total), you will:

  • Have your brain activity measured using fMRI and EEG
  • Answer questions about your background, health, mood, and behaviour
  • Play decision making computer games
  • Receive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

Eligibility:

  1. You are between 19 and 45 years old
  2. Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, in the euthymic state
  3. No other major physical or mental illness
  4. Proficient in English

Location: The research will be conducted at 3 UBC sites: the David Strangway research office, the Centre for Brain Health (MRI Centre – Fipke Neuroimaging Suite), and Detwiller Pavilion of UBC Hospital.

Contact Information: Contact the B.R.A.I.N Lab via email brainlab.hri@ubc.ca or phone: 604-827-4287.

Reimbursement/Time: For participation in all 4 sessions, you can receive up to $95.

Study End Date: January 2023

Perinatal Anxiety Screening Effectiveness Study (Online)

Researcher: Dr. Nichole Fairbrother, Cora Keeney
Description: One in five pregnant and postpartum people suffers from an anxiety or anxiety-related condition. Despite this, these difficulties are typically not screened for, and little is known about the impact of screening on mental health. The purpose of this study is to learn more about the impact of screening for [eonytal anxiety and anxiety related disorders on mental health outcomes.
Eligibility: If you live in British Columbia, are age 18 or older, are pregnant (28 weeks and beyond), or have a newborn under the age of 12 weeks, you are eligible to participate.
Location: Online.
Contact Information: par.lab@ubc.ca; cora.keeney@ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time: Participation takes 45-75 minutes. Participants who complete the full study will receive a $25 e-transfer. Those who complete a portion of the study will receive $15.

Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted April 25, 2022

Allies in Health: Social-Cognitive Predictors of Everyday Health Behaviors in Older Dyads (Online)

Researcher: Dr. Christiane Hoppmann (PI), Tiana Broen, Yoonseok Choi

Description: The primary purpose is to consider how social support plays a role in the everyday life of older adults including the impact on their health behaviours and goals set together with a study partner like a spouse, a friend, an adult child, or another social tie. Participants will have two virtual Zoom sessions with research assistants, receive daily surveys for 10 days, and complete a blood draw at a local lab.

Eligibility: You can participate in this study if you or your study partner are aged 60 years or older.

Location: Online and at home

Contact Information: To participate, email allies@psych.ubc.ca or call at (604) 822-3549

Reimbursement/Time: Approximately 10 hours is required for this study (including 2 assessments, a blood draw at a lab, and daily life assessments). Each partner can choose to receive a gift card or receive a physical activity tracker. A personalized health feedback letter is provided to each participant. Please contact the lab for further details.

Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted April 15, 2022

Examining the Effect of Salbutamol Use in Ozone Air Pollution by People with Asthma and/or EIB

Researchers: Michael Koehle (principle investigator), Ben Stothers (graduate student)

Description: We are recruiting individuals with asthma and/or EIB. This study will involve exercising on a stationary bike while breathing in either room air or simulated real-world ozone pollution after taking either salbutamol (inhaler medication) or placebo medication.

Eligibility:

  • Inclusion Criteria:
    • Have asthma and/or EIB (will be tested for on the first day)
    • 18-50 years old
    • Able to exercise on a stationary bike
  • Exclusion Criteria:
    • Smoker
    • Pregnant or potentially pregnant

Location: Room 118 in Medical Sciences Block C. 2176 Health Sciences Mall. Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3

Contact Information: Ben Stothers (ben.stothers@ubc.ca)

Reimbursement/ Time:

  • Reimbursement
    • 150$ total: The study will involve 5 visits (30$ each).
    • Free VO2max test (aerobic fitness measure).
    • Free Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction test.
    • Free Lung Function testing.
  • Time (roughly 11.5 hours total)
    • 5 visits. The first visit will be roughly 1.5 hours and the next 4 visits will roughly 2.5 hours

Study Duration: Ongoing. Posted 2022 Feb 28.

Developing perceptual skills for pitch recognition in baseball (Online)

Researcher: Primary investigator: Dr Nicola Hodges. Graduate students: Georgia Grieve, Zachary Besler.

Description: The purpose of this study is to assess how perceptual skills develop in youth baseball athletes. We are interesting in how and when players begin to recognize body cues and are able to use these to guide action prediction. Participants will be asked to complete a sport practice history questionnaire via Qualtrics. Participants will then complete a video game-like pitch recognition task and a visual acuity task, both via Gorilla. All levels of experience with baseball are invited to participate.

Eligibility: Males aged 12-21, any level of experience with baseball (including novice)

Location: Online

Contact Information: Georgia, kin.msl@ubc.ca

Reimbursement/Time: The study takes approximately 1 hour to complete. Participants will be compensated for their time with a $15 Amazon voucher

Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted 2022 Feb 7

Benefits of urban greenspaces (Online)
Researcher: Johanna Bock (graduate student), Dr. Lorien Nesbitt (Principal Investigator)
Description: Greenspaces in cities can keep us cool, relaxed and fit. However not everybody benefits in the same way for a variety of reasons. We are a group of researchers from UBC‘s Faculty of Forestry investigating the different uses and benefits of greenspaces around the City of Vancouver. We invite you to participate in our online survey during which you can show us spots you visited today on a map and answer questions about these places, such as what you did there and which features might have been missing. Lastly, we will ask about your personal well-being and background.
Eligibility: To participate you must be 18 years or older and residing in Vancouver. We also ask you to complete the online survey at the end of the day.
Location: Access the online survey via https://arcg.is/0em0yr. You can take the survey online, on your own device (i.e. smartphone, tablet, computer). Please remember to do so at the end of the day, after visiting a greenspace.
Contact Information: If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Study Coordinator Johanna Bock (jbock@mail.ubc.ca).
Reimbursement/Time: The study will take about 15 to 30 minutes of your time. In the end, you will get the chance to enter into a price draw with a 1 out of 5 chance to win a 25$ gift card of your choice.
Study End Date: Ongoing. Posted Oct 22, 2021.

 

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Advertise on the List

If you have paid studies you want to list on the mailing list/listserv, please send an email to Ke at kezhang@psych.ubc.ca with the following information. Please send your listing plain-text in an email with 1) ethics approval attachment; 2) “Paid study posting” in the email subject to ensure your email does not get lost.

Study Title: A unique title used to identify your study (Indicate if this is an online study or not)

Researcher: The grad student(s) and the primary investigator

Description: A few sentences or a short paragraph about what participants will do. You can use the Human Subjects Pool style as a guide.

Eligibility: Any restrictions, such as if you only want students, psych majors, a certain age, etc.

Location: Where the participant will take part in the study (e.g., Kenny building, UBC campus, Vancouver General Hospital, online). Please note that not all readers of the list are UBC students, and so if your location is a building on campus, we recommend you include a street address so participants can look up the location of the building.

Contact Information: A name, email address/phone number, a scheduling link (if eligible) so participants can organize a time to participate

Reimbursement/Time: What participants will be paid and how long will the study take

Study End Date: When the study will be removed from the list. Studies labelled ongoing will remain on the list for one year or until you contact Ke to remove them.

Please note: This list is a posting service only. All studies affiliated with UBC involving human participants are required to have a research ethics certificate before using this service and the use of this site needs to be specifically outlined in the research ethics application. It is the responsibility of the researcher to ensure proper ethics guidelines are being followed in using this list as an advertising space. For information on UBC Research Ethics, consult the Office of Research Ethics website. This list is hosted online by, but not affiliated with, the Psychology Graduate Student Council.