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 COVID-19, in-person studies are currently suspended until further notice, online studies are still open unless stated otherwise below.
Please check the eligibility requirements for each study. Some studies are only open to UBC students, others are open to the general public.
Last updated: July 5th, 2020
Time Well Spent Study (Online)
Researcher: Kevin Chow (grad student), Dr. Thomas Fritz, and Dr. Joanna
McGrenere (principal investigator)
Description: We’re looking for graduate students who want to improve how
they spend their time at work through the use of a time-tracking app.
The purpose of this study is to examine and compare the benefits of
various time-tracking tools that are meant to help you during your time
at work.
Eligibility:
– Are 18 years of age or older
– Work full-time (approx. 35 hours a week) as a research-based graduate
student
– Work with computing technology for a majority of your work hours
– Have an Android phone and are able to use it during your work hours
– Speak English fluently
– We will select participants among those who complete a short online
screening survey (5 mins):
https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_etVLzbc7XUBnkrP
Location: Online
Contact Information: Kevin Chow at kchowk@cs.ubc.ca if you have any
questions. You will be contacted for the study if you complete the
screening survey above.
Reimbursement/Time: We anticipate that the total time in the study will
be approximately 4 hours over the span of 4 weeks. Upon study
completion, you will receive a $50 CAD gift card as compensation.
Study End Date: After 1st week of August 2020
Researcher: Dr. Hasan (PI) and Zil E Huma (graduate student)
Description: The purpose of this study is to explore ways to improve co-located
interpersonal communication (i.e., interaction and communication between nearby individuals) through smartphones. More specifically, we will investigate couples’ smartphone usage patterns such as, what apps they use (e.g., social media, news), where they use (e.g., geolocations), and how long they use (e.g., app usage duration). This data will later be used to design a smartphone application that sends notifications to encourage users’ communicating with their co-located partners.
Eligibility:
- Be in a romantic relationship and living together with your partner
- Willing to participate in the study as a couple
- Both you and your partner should be using Android-based smartphone version of 7.0 or higher
- Reside in Canada
Location: At Home study and over Zoom/Skype
Contact Information: Please contact Dr. Hasan at khalad.hasan@ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time: The participants will be paid $100 as a couple. The duration of the study is 45 days.
Study End Date: Ongoing
Researchers: Mohi Reza (grad student), Dongwook Yoon (primary investigator)
Description: The goal of this study is to evaluate a new language learning web application, CAST (Computer-Assisted Shadowing Trainer). You will be asked to try the app by doing some listening and speaking activities, and then to share your feedback by filling out some questionnaires and answering interview questions.
Students who are learning English as a second language, and are interested in discovering novel ways to practice English with the help of technology, are encouraged to come to help us with our research by participating in this user study.
You can learn more about CAST here: https://mohireza.github.io/cast/
Eligibility:
We are looking for participants who:
- Speak English as a second or foreign language
- Have taken English Language Lessons within the last two years
- Have a strong internet connection and a webcam
- Have normal or corrected vision and hearing
- Are at least 18 years old
Location: Online using Zoom
Contact Information: To participate, reach out to Mohi Reza via email (mohireza@cs.ubc.ca) or text (604-715-4016)
Reimbursement/Time: The study will take approximately 1.5 hours to complete, and upon completion, participants will receive a $23 CAD honorarium as compensation ($15/hour) via Interac transfer, PayPal or Amazon Digital Gift Card.
Study End Date: August 2020
Researcher: Sang-Wha Sien (grad student), Joanna McGrenere (principal investigator)
Description: Help us understand how East Asians in Canada use technology to manage and make sense of their mental health and wellbeing. This includes stress and general anxieties of everyday life. Your participation will help us design how mental health technologies can be more sensitive to different cultures in Canada. We will ask you what mental health technologies (e.g. apps) you have used and your general attitudes and behaviors about using these tools.
To take the online questionnaire, please go to https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0vqkqCWwaAIsyix.
For the interview only option, please take this eligibility survey at https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cT43gQnAu2sa4Sh.
Eligibility:
- Is a university student of East Asian descent (Chinese, Japanese, Korean)
- Is 18 years of age or older
- Fluent in English
- Currently resides in Canada
- Has not experienced past trauma, suicidal ideation, or diagnosed with a severe and persistent mental illness
Location: Online using Zoom.
Contact Information: Sang-Wha Sien (swsien@cs.ubc.ca)
Reimbursement/Time: The study has two options, an online questionnaire or an interview. The interview will approximately last 1 hour on Zoom and you will be given $25 for participating. The online questionnaire will take approximately 30-40 minutes to complete, and as compensation, you will have a chance to win 1 of 5 $25 Visa gift cards. You will also have the opportunity to participate in a follow up interview for an additional $25.
Study End Date: July 31th.
Researcher: Prof. Konstantin Beznosov (PI), Yue Huang, and Borke Obada-Obieh
Description: The main objective of this study is to have a better understanding of users’ perspectives about their shared smart speaker(s) in a multi-user scenario. More specifically, we intend to find out
users’ experiences when making use of their shared smart speaker(s) with other users in the same household.
Eligibility: You must be 19 years or above, have shared at least one smart speaker with other users in the same household for a minimum of three months. We will select participants among those who complete a
short online screening survey: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6MxDl5uUQy1FArj
Location: Online video calls through Skype or Zoom
Contact Information: Yue Huang at huang13i@ece.ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time: Interviewed participants will be compensated with $20 CAD via Interac transfer or Amazon digital gift card.
Study End Date: July 30, 2020
Researcher: Prof. Joanna McGrenere (PI), Janet Chen, and Francesco Vitale
Description: The main objective of this study is to have a better understanding of how people manage their data in preparation of death.
Eligibility:
- You must be 18 years or above
- Speak English
- Regularly use one or more interactive devices (e.g. smartphone, laptop, tablet) with personal files on them
- Have strong internet connection and a webcam
- We will select participants among those who complete a short online screening survey: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eeZ2SkM175PYQSh
Location: Online video calls through Zoom
Contact Information: Janet Chen at janet.chen@alumni.ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time: Interviewed participants will be compensated with $20 CAD via Interac e-transfer
Study End Date: August 2020
Researcher: Dr. Ronald Cenfetelli (PI), Dr. Hasan Cavusoglu, Amir Fard Bahreini
Description: The overall purpose of this research is to assess your IT decision-making process on your devices and online platforms. During this study, you’ll be asked to:
• Answer a series of questions related to the topic of study in an interview (appx. 30 minutes)
• Discuss part of your Facebook account setting and answer questions related to those (appx. 10 minutes)
• Answer an online questionnaire (appx. 15 min)
Eligibility: individuals 18 years or older who are are fluent in the English language and have a Facebook account.
Location: Virtual meeting via Skype
Contact Information: amir.fard@sauder.ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time: The study will take about 1 hour. Participants will be given a CAD 15 honorarium upon completion of the study.
Study End Date: Ongoing
- You must be 19 years or above.
- You must live in Canada.
- We will select participants among those who complete a short online screening survey: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6xnDc8lpHVK83FH
Researcher: The primary investigator is Dr. Christiane Hoppmann (Health Psychology, UBC).
Description: We are inviting individuals aged 18 years and above who currently reside in Canada to participate in the THRIVE study. The primary purpose of this study is to better understand people’s thoughts, behaviours and feelings in the current context. The results of our study will help us understand how people can maintain their wellbeing and social connectedness in times of social distancing.
Eligibility: Need to be 18 or older and living in Canada.
Location: online
Contact Information: thrive@ubc.psych.ca or phone 604-822-354
Reimbursement/Time: Participant’s name will be entered in a draw of $50 Amazon gift cards with a 1:5 chance of winning. A background questionnaire (45-90 minutes) and brief morning and evening surveys (~10 minutes) for a period of 10 days.
Study End Date: ongoing
Researcher: Luca Kaemmer and Philipp Kreyenmeier
Description: Participants will be viewing and intercepting (hitting) moving objects on a screen while their eye movements and finger movements will be recorded using an eye tracker (camera) and a magnetic motion tracker.
Eligibility:
- 19-45 years old
- Normal vision, or vision corrected with glasses or contact lenses
- No history of neurological disease (such as multiple sclerosis, stroke, trauma to the head, including a concussion within 12 months of the study), psychiatric disease (such as schizophrenia or depression), or eye disease (such as strabismus or amblyopia, known as “lazy eye”)
Location: Room X715 in the ICICS building, 2366 Main Mall, Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4.
Contact Information: Philipp Kreyenmeier philipp.kreyenmeier@alumni.ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time: The study will take approximately 90 minutes and the participants will be reimbursed with 10$/hour (ca.15$ total).
Study End Date: 4/4/2020
Researcher: Luke Peddie and Dr. Eli Puterman (PI)
Description: The APEX Study seeks to understand how our responses to stressful events impact our physiology and psychological responses when we exercise. The APEX study will consist of two sessions, during which you will be fitted with a heart rate monitor and mask that measures your ventilation. The first session consists of some brief questionnaires and an 8-km cycling time trial on a cycle ergometer. The second session follows similar procedures with the addition of a public speaking task, similar to mock job interview. During the second session, you will be also asked to provide 5 saliva samples.
Eligibility: Participants should be females who are healthy, moderately active, 18-30 years old, not currently taking hormonal contraceptives or select medications, and who have not competed in sport for at least 2 years.
Location: FAST Lab on UBC Vancouver campus (Medical Sciences Block C, room number 108, 2176 Health Sciences Mall). Medical Sciences Block C is located immediately North of Woodward library.
Contact Information: To sign up, please fill out this form (https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9zDKs1qxrKoovtz) with your contact information and we will be in touch with you soon. You can also call us at 604-827-2618 or email us at kin.fastlab@ubc.ca for more information.
Reimbursement/Time: The study consists of 2 sessions within a 14 day period. Day 1 appointments are approximately 90min, and day 2 appointments are approximately 2hours and 10min. Participants will be paid a $40 honorarium for participating, as well as provided a complimentary fitness assessment.
Researcher: Anna Safaris (RA), Jon Howard (RA), Nicole Ong (PhD student), April Karlinsky (PhD student), and Dr. Nicola Hodges (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.
Eligibility: In order to participate in this study you must meet all of the following requirements: 1) female, 2) 18-35 years old, 3) right-hand dominant, 4) no current injury to the wrists and hands, 5) normal or corrected vision and hearing, 6) no known neurological disorders, 7) maximum of 4 years of piano training (please inform Jon about all music training), 8) good understanding of English, 9) 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).
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” 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 $13.85/hour.
- Must be a “skilled” darts thrower with 5 years of experience. Able to hit “their number” on the dart board 2 out of 3 times.
- 18-60 years old
- good understanding of English
- right-hand or left hand dominant (not ambidextrous)
- no current injury to the wrists or hands that would interfere with dart throwing
- have normal or corrected vision and hearing
Slot Machine Eye Tracking
- Must have played slot machines at least once in the past 12 months.
- Must be at least 19 years old, and can present a valid ID as proof.
- Must have normal vision or wear contact lenses.
Location: Ponderosa Audain Art Centre, 6398 Student Union Boulevard, University of British Columbia.
Contact information: To apply for this study, please complete this eligibility questionnaire (https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3DJlFHjb8GEFQ9L). For general inquiries, please contact Spence Murch (spencer@psych.ubc.ca).
Reimbursement/Time: Participants will be paid $20 for their laboratory time (approx. 1 hour), plus the cost of parking or bus fare and any slot machine bonus payments earned during the task (details available by request).
Study End Date: June 1st, 2o20
Speech processing in adverse listening conditions
Study Title: Speech processing in adverse listening conditions
Researcher: Christina Sen and Dr. Molly Babel (PI)
Description: We are looking to record some male, native Cantonese speakers for a speech perception experiment. Participants will be asked to read only 25 English sentences into a microphone.
Eligibility: Must be male, native Cantonese speakers (between the ages of 20 and 30) who speak English with a Cantonese accent.
Location: Stores Road Annex at UBC (6368 Stores Road, Vancouver, BC)
Contact Information: Christina Sen, cmsen@mail.ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time: The study will take around 15 minutes. Participants will be compensated $10 for their time.
Study End Date: April 30th
Attention Study
Researcher: Sumeet Mutti and Todd Handy
Description: The purpose of this study is to examine whether resource depletion is related to task-related attention. This will be determined by using a basic visual detection task and recording specific brain wave responses (types of Event-Related Potentials – ERPs) to stimuli presented. Participants will perform simple button press task on a computer while wearing an electrode cap.
Eligibility: We are looking for adults age 18+. Participants must have normal or corrected-to-normal vision, and be able to understand English instructions. They must have no history of reading, hearing, language, or neurological condition.
Location: Douglas T. Kenny Building (2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4) Room 3405
Contact Information: Sumeet, neuroimage@psych.ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time: $20 Amazon gift card for 2 hours
Study End Date: December 2020
Effects of transcranial electrical stimulation on perception and cognition
Researcher: Dr. Lawrence Ward (PI)
Description: This experiment will explore how people process visual stimuli. It will involve viewing and responding to visual stimuli presented on a computer screen. You will receive weak electrical stimulation on the scalp delivered with a safe, harmless, non-invasive brain stimulation technology.
Eligibility: Must be 18-35 years old
Location: The experiment will be conducted in the Laboratory of Psychophysics and Cognitive Neuroscience (Kenny Building, Room 3014)
Contact Information: Email Naima Mansuri at wardlab@psych.ubc.ca to organize a time to participate.
Reimbursement/Time: Participants will receive $10.00 for each hour of participation. The study will take approximately 1-2 hours to complete on each of two separate occasions.
Study End Date: No end date specified. Posted May 28, 2019.
Researcher: Hannah Brodie, Mariya V. Cherkasova
Description:
• Playing games on the computer for money bonuses;
• Filling out some questionnaires;
• Your eye position will be recorded with an eye tracker – a small camera pointed at your eye – while you play the games;
Eligibility: Anyone with normal or corrected-to-normal vision and hearing and good enough command of English to complete questionnaires.
Location: Eye Care Centre, Vancouver General Hospital, 2550 Willow st. rm360A.
Contact Information: Please email Hannah Brodie at hannah.brodie@alumni.ubc.ca to schedule a testing session.
Reimbursement/Time: The study comprises a single visit lasting about 2 hours. The compensation for the study will equal to the amount earned in money bonuses on the tasks (~$40-$50 on average).
Eligibility: Couples aged 60 or above.
Contact Information: If you are interested in participating, email gripstudy@psych.ubc.ca or phone 604-822-3549 and ask about the GRIP study.Reimbursement/Time: Participation will take roughly 15 hours spread over a two week period. For participating in the study, couples can choose to receive one tablet per couple or monetary reimbursement. A free technology workshop is also available.
Study End Date: Ongoing
Perception of your social self
* COVID-19 update: We will be continuing to conduct phone interviews to assess eligibility but will be delaying scheduling lab visits until after social distancing for COVID-19 has ended
Researcher: Bri Glazier, Lynn Alden (PI), Sarah Lillemo (Study coordinator)
Description: We are interested in how mood interacts with one’s perception of behaviour in a social task. If you are interested, we will conduct a brief (10-15min) phone interview to assess your eligibility. If you are eligible, you will be invited into the lab for two sessions of questionnaires, scheduled one week apart, and one online questionnaire. In the lab, you may be asked to make a short statement to a video camera. At the end of the second session, you will participate in a short clinical interview.
Eligibility: Adults age 25-65 who have lived in Canada for 6 months or longer, with NO history of clinically significant psychiatric illnesses (e.g., NO social anxiety, depression) and no current/recent drug use
Location: Kenny building, UBC campus, between the hours of 9am and 5pm.
Contact Information: Email us at aldenlab@psych.ubc.ca. Please reference the study “Healthy Perceptions” and let us know some times that we can contact you on the phone for 10-15 minutes.
Reimbursement/Time: $40 for 1.5 hours of your time at UBC as well as $10 for travel expenses.
Study End Date: Ongoing
Cantonese-English Bilingual Speech Database
Researchers: Khia Johnson (PhD candidate), Dr. Molly Babel (PI)
Description: Are you a (male or nonbinary) speaker of Cantonese and English? You can be part of a bilingual speech database. We’re studying what makes bilingual speech unique—specifically, how languages influence one another. The study involves two 30-minute conversational interviews on everyday topics like culture, hobbies, school, community issues, or work. What’s the catch? One interview will be conducted (mostly) in Cantonese, and the other (mostly) in English. Both interviews will be recorded with head-mounted microphones and included in an Open Access database, so researchers and developers around the world can play with and learn from your speech. **Please note that we are no longer recruiting female participants at this time**
Eligibility: Age 19-35; Fluent in both Cantonese and English; No known speech, language, or hearing disorders; Identify as male or nonbinary
Location: Stores Road Annex (6368 Stores Road, Vancouver, BC)
Contact Information: Khia Johnson, khia.johnson@ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time: 1.5 hours, $15
Study End Date: June 19, 2020.
Watch your thoughts and get a free brain scan!
Researcher: Sneha Sheth and Kalina Christoff
Description: We are looking for subjects to participate in our research study which will require you to be able to answer questions about your own thoughts as they naturally unfold over time. You will do this as you lie still in an MRI scanner for two hours.
Eligibility: 21-36 years old, healthy, right-handed, not on psychiatric medication. Note that the first part of this study determines your eligibility for the second part, so you will only be contacted for the second part after your results from part one are screened.
Location:This a two-part study which will take place on UBC campus. Part 1 is a behavioral component that will be conducted in the Kenny building. The second part will involve you lying still inside an MRI scanner (located at the Center for Brain Heath).
Contact Information: Please fill out this form https://forms.gle/3tSY8dzLNaLEUzkN9 and contact Sneha at ubcdotstudy@gmail.com
Reimbursement/Time:This study will take 4 hours in total spread over two separate days. You will be reimbursed $10 for part 1 and $45 after completing part 2. You will also receive a free CD with pictures of your brain after completing part 2.
Study End Date: Ongoing
Social Integration and Well-Being
Researchers: Dr. Frances Chen (PI) and Dr. Gu Li
Description: We are inviting you to join this 2-part study. In this study, we examine how new students develop friendships as well as how they feel during their first months at university. If you agree to participate, you will be invited for a 1-hour lab visit in the coming few weeks and another 1-hour lab visit towards the second half of this term.
In the first lab visit, you will complete a survey about demographic information, attitudes and experiences with the LGBTQ community, friendships, and mental fitness. You will also be asked to evaluate images of male and female models. Finally, you will be asked to write about your values, beliefs, or observations and complete a brief task with your laptop computer.
In the second lab visit, you will complete the same survey again. At the end of the second lab visit, you will read a webpage explaining the study to you in detail and will be given the opportunity to ask any questions you might have.
Eligibility: Participants must be full-time first year undergraduate students at UBC and must be fluent in English. This study is open to participants of all gender identities and sexual orientations, and we especially encourage students who identify as mostly heterosexual/ straight, straight-curious, bi-curious, bisexual, pansexual, lesbian, and gay to participate.
Location: Department of Psychology, Vancouver Campus (Audain Art Building [POND] 4038B or Kenny 3318).
Contact Information: Please contact Dr. Gu Li at gu.li@psych.ubc.ca with the subject line “Social Integration and Well-Being” to ask for more information.
Reimbursement: You will earn $10 for the first lab visit and $15 for the second lab visit.
Study Periods: September 3, 2019—October 1, 2019 (first lab visit); October 15, 2019—December 1, 2019 (second lab visit).
Click this link to complete a 5-min pre-screening survey about your demographic information including gender identity and sexual orientation, for a prize draw of ten $20s and ten $10s (valid through October 1, 2019): https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bxei0zZZ4NNb9HL
Aging and vision with eye-tracking
Researcher: Doris Chow (Post-doc) and Miriam Spering (PI)
Description: This study is about motion sensitivity and eye movements. You will look at visual stimuli presented on a monitor while your eye movements are being recorded with a video camera. You will also be asked to make manual responses to the specific features of the stimulus. Some of these judgments will be easy and other more difficult. Basic vision tests will also be performed.
Eligibility: 19-45 or 65-85 years old; normal or corrected-to-normal visual acuity (at least 20/40); no history of neurological, psychiatric or eye diseases (such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, or ‘lazy eye’)
Location: The study will be conducted at ICORD, VGH (818 W10th Avenue) or ICICS, UBC Vancouver (2366 Main Mall).
Contact Information: please email doris.hm.chow@ubc.ca for inquiries and scheduling
Reimbursement/Time: Remuneration is $3 per 15 mins of study participation (rounded up to the nearest 15 min interval). The total duration of the study is up to 75 mins (one session). ($5 / session if you do not meet the vision requirements on the day of the study and cannot participate)
Study End Date: No end date specified. Posted August 29th
Away we grow! Growing up milk toddler nutrition development study
Researcher: Dr. Yvonne Lamers (PI) and Dr. Tim Oberlander (Co-PI)
Description: The objective of this study is to determine whether the type of milk a child drinks impacts growth, behavior, and development. The child will be followed over six months of time. For more information visit: www.tiny.cc/ubcnutritionawg
Eligibility:
Healthy children nearing 18 months-of-age, born at 37 week gestation as a singleton birth (i.e. not a twin, triplet) with a birth weight between 2500-4500g (5.5-10lbs) and able to complete 5 study visits within 6 months (3 study visits at UBC, BC Children’s Hospital or Surrey office & 2 at a convenient community location).
Location: Participants may complete study visits at the site most convenient: at BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, 4480 Oak St, Vancouver, BC, UBC OR the Nutrition Research Offices at 73rd & King George, Surrey.
Contact Information: Please contact Chloe Chong at nutrition.research@bcchr.ca or by telephone at 604-875-2345 ext. 4896 or complete and send us the Eligibility Screening Questionnaire at: www.tiny.cc/ubcnutritionawg
Reimbursement/Time: Participants will receive Gift Cards for the time to complete assessments / study visits and will be reimbursed for parking/public transit.
Study End Date: Anticipated as December 2020.
Researcher: Drs. Joanne Weinberg (PI), Tammy Bodnar, and Charlis Raineki
Description: We are investigating the role of the immune system in health for adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). You will be asked to complete questionnaires, play iPad games, have your picture taken, provide a small blood and saliva sample, and have a study doctor take some routine health measurements.
Eligibility: BC residents between the ages of 22 and 50+ who have an official FASD Diagnosis or who were not exposed to alcohol prenatally
Location: UBC Campus (LSI) or BC Women’s Health Centre (4500 Oak St, Vancouver, BC)
Contact Information: You may fill out our contact form at http://tiny.cc/adulthealthstudy. You may also email adulthealth.fasd@ubc.ca or call us at 604-809-5574
Reimbursement/Time: Participants will receive monetary reimbursement for their participation. The study will involve one visit lasting approximately 3 to 5 hours (or less).
Study End Date: Posted on August 13, 2019. No end date specified.
Total Aromatic Amino Acid Requirements in Healthy Pregnant Women
Researcher: Madeleine Ennis and Dr. Rajavel Elango
Description: There will be a 1 hour preliminary assessment, then anywhere from 1 to 8 study days (the participant chooses) that are 8 hours long and involve the collection of breath, urine samples, one small blood sample, consuming a special diet and measurements of body composition.
Eligibility: Healthy women between 20 and 40 pregnant with a single child.
Location: BC Children’s Hospital
Contact Information: Madeleine Ennis, mennis@bcchr.ca, 6048752000×4607
Reimbursement/Time: $100 per completed 8 hour study day as well as a parking code or bus fare.
Study End Date: Dec 2019
Cognitive function in individuals with problem gambling: recruiting healthy volunteers with minimal or no gambling
Researcher: Brittney Russell (PhD student), Mariya Cherkasova (research associate), Luke Clark (PI)
Description: The study contains a single 3-hour test session at the Vancouver General Hospital’s Eye Care Centre (360A-2550 Willow Street). Prior to the test session, we will arrange a telephone call to ask some questions about your general health, mental health and gambling behaviour to confirm your suitability. During the test session, you will first undergo a structured clinical interview and then complete computerized tasks and questionnaires. The tasks will be accompanied by eye tracking, done non-invasively using a special apparatus with a small camera.
Eligibility: To be eligible for the study, you must: be between the ages of 35 and 65; be able to read, write and speak fluent English; not have experienced problems associated with gambling; not have history of/current neurological illness or head injury; not have a history of psychiatric hospitalization; not have any ongoing problems with mental health (e.g. depression/ anxiety) or with substance use; not have started (or changed) any medication or medication dose in the past 6 weeks.
Location: The study is conducted at the Human Vision and Eye Movement lab at the Eye Care Centre (2550 Willow St., rm.360A). Scheduling arrangements can be made with the researcher.
Contact Information: Brittney Russell, brittney.russell@psych.ubc.ca; Mariya Cherkasova, cherkaso@mail.ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time: The study takes ~3 hours to complete. You will be compensated $30 for your time, and we will reimburse any transit and parking expenses accrued. You will also earn bonus payment on the computer tasks (up to ~ $70).
Study End Date: January, 2020
The Hearing Brain
Researchers: Dr. Todd S. Woodward, Dr. Mahesh Menon, R.Psych, and Dr. Christine Tipper
Description: This sub-study is part of a larger research project that seeks to develop transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) as a research and therapy tool. tACS is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique in which a very weak electrical current is applied to the scalp in order to increase the likelihood of neural firing in targeted brain regions. This safe, painless, non-invasive brain stimulation technology holds great promise as a therapeutic application for brain health conditions. Participation as a control subject in this study will aid the study investigators in developing protocols to influence network-level brain function in a precisely targeted manner and test specific hypotheses about the role of different brain networks in specific aspects of cognition and behaviour
“The Hearing Brain” investigates whether transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) can mimic and/or influence the brain activity that occurs when listening to simple sounds.
Eligibility: To participate you must be a fluent English speaker aged 19-60, and must not have a history of migraines, neurological problems, or seizure
Location: The experiment will be conducted in the Cognitive Neuroscience of Schizophrenia Laboratoy (Detwiller Pavilion, UBC Hospital)
Contact Information: Contact Jessica at brain.dynamics@ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time: All together, it takes about 1.5 hours to complete this paid study.
Study End Date: No end date specified. Posted July 23, 2019.
UBC Teen Health and Emotions Study
Researcher: Bita Zareian, Dr. Christine Anderl, & Dr. Frances Chen (PI)
Description: UBC’s Social Health Lab is exploring how hormones shape teenagers’ emotions over time. Teenagers experience a range of moods and emotions, thanks to a sharp increase in hormones. What’s not known is the role that these hormones have on the maturing teenage brain.
Eligibility: Young women between 13-15 and one of their parents or guardians. Teens and parents must be fluent in English and have no definite plans to move in the next 3 years.
Location: UBC Douglas Kenny Building and at home.
Contact Information: Email us at teenstudy@psych.ubc.ca. Learn more at bit.ly/UBCTeenStudy.
Reimbursement/Time: This study includes six lab sessions across 3 years. In total, this study takes about 13.5 hours to complete. Participating families will receive up to $180 ($30 for each completed lab session)
Study End Date: No end date specified. Posted July 9, 2019.
Neurochemical Influences on Cognitive Functions Dependent on Prefrontal Cortex
Researcher: Dr. Adele Diamond (PI)
Description: We are examining whether methylphenidate (MPH; known commercially as Ritalin©) might affect reasoning, attention, and memory differently in men and women. If eligible, participants will be asked to visit the lab three times. The first visit is an information session where you are asked to provide a saliva sample, and the second and third visits are testing sessions, scheduled one month apart. The testing sessions will involve taking either a low dose of MPH or a placebo (Vitamin C), and then completing 4 short cognitive tasks on a computer.
Eligibility: You are eligible if you meet the following requirements:
1) 20-35 years of age
2) Proficient to fluent in English
3) Can execute a manual response such as pressing a button
4) Have a regular monthly menstrual period (applies to females only)
5) No history of neurological and psychiatric disorders, including brain injury
6) Not taking ANY medication that influences circulating gonadal hormone levels (e.g. testosterone, oral hormonal contraceptives, Depo-Provera [birth control drug injection])
7) Not taking ANY medication that might affect cognition
Location: All the sessions will take place at the Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, UBC, Detwiller Pavilion, 2255 Westbrook Mall. Our lab is in the building next to the UBC Hospital.
Contact Information: Please email mphstudy@devcogneuro.com if you are interested in participating.
Reimbursement/Time: Participants will receive a total of $40 for their time: $5 for coming to the information session (approx. 30 minutes); $15 for completing the first testing session (approx. 1hr); and $20 for completing the second testing session (approx. 1hr).
Study End Date: No end date specified. Posted July 9, 2019.
Face Recognition Research Study
Researcher: Todd Kamensek (graduate student) and Dr. Ipek Oruc (PI)
Description: You are invited to participate in a study evaluating one’s daily exposure to faces for factors such as size, gender, viewing distance, and angle. The study involves the use of a head-mounted camera that will take photographs at regular intervals in first-person view over the course of 1 day for 8-10 hours. After wearing the glasses for a day, participants will complete a few lab based assessments of visuo-spatial ability and face recognition.
Eligibility: Participants must be at least 18 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.
Reimbursement/Time: Participants will receive $20 compensation for wearing the head-mounted camera for one day, plus $10 per hour for additional testing at the lab (1 hour).
Study End Date: Posted June 25, 2019. No end date specified.
Preliminary Bolus Study
Researcher: Dr. Yvonne Lamers (PI) and Mikaela Stewart (RA)
Description: We are investigating how methionine is used in our bodies. Following a successful health screening visit, we require 6 hours of your time in a single visit at the Women’s Health Research Institute (Oak Street Campus). During this time, participants will be asked to provide blood and breath samples, as well as information on dietary intake and B-vitamin status.
Eligibility: Healthy women aged 20-35 who:
– Have not been taking vitamin, amino acid or protein supplements regularly (more than once a week)
– Do not chronically consume a high protein diet (e.g. Atkins)
– Have no chronic medical conditions (e.g. diabetes, cancer, asthma, gastrointestinal surgery…)
– Are not pregnant or breastfeeding
– Do not smoke, use recreational drugs or drink more than 7 alcohol beverages per week
– Do not take long-term prescription medication (e.g. hormonal contraceptives, antidepressants…)
– Have not donated blood in the past 3 months prior to study start
Location: BC Women’s Health Research Institute: 4500 Oak Street, Vancouver
Contact Information: Please contact Mikaela Stewart at folate.study@ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time: Participants will receive up to $75 in gift cards for successful completion ($25 for screening visit ~1 hr, $50 for main study day ~6 hrs).
Study End Date: No end date specified. Posted June 25 2019.
The Dynamic Reciprocal Electroencephalography and Modulation (DREAM) study
Effect of Visual Noise and Blur on Facial Recognition
Practice Scheduling and Motor Learning of Keystroke Patterns
Researcher: Georgia Grieve (RA) and Dr. Nicola Hodges (PI)
Description: Participants will practice various keystroke patterns with the goal of learning the timing of each pattern as accurately as possible.
Eligibility: In order to participate in this study you must meet all of the following requirements: 1) female, 2) age 18-35, 3) right-hand dominant, 4) normal vision or wear corrective lenses, 5) no injury to the right hand, 6) no known neurological disorders, 7) no previous participation in a study involving keystroke patterns conducted by the School of Kinesiology’s Motor Skills Lab (if in doubt, please check with researcher)
Location: Room 4612 in the D. H. Copp Building (2146 Health Sciences Mall)
Contact Information: Please contact Georgia at georgia.grieve@alumni.ubc.ca. Note: Please include “Keypress Study” in the subject line of your email.
Reimbursement/Time: This study will take place across 2 consecutive days. Day 1 will take ~75 min and Day 2 will take ~30 min. Participants will be paid $12.65/hr (total time commitment ~105 min).
Self and Social Perception – Part 3
Researcher: Bri Glazier, Lynn Alden (PI), Sarah Lillemo (Study coordinator)
Description: UBC Psychology is looking for adults with social anxiety to participate in a study on UBC campus. If you are interested, we will conduct a brief phone interview to assess your eligibility. If you are eligible, you will be invited into the lab for two sessions, scheduled one week apart. You will also complete one online questionnaire. In the lab, you may be asked to make a short statement to a video camera. In both sessions you will be asked to fill out questionnaires about your mood and your perception of yourself. At the end of the second session, you will participate in a clinical interview.
Eligibility: Adults age 18-65 with high social anxiety AND no depression, schizophrenia, psychosis, or current drug use.
Location: Kenny building, UBC campus, between the hours of 9am and 5pm.
Contact Information: Email us at aldenlab@psych.ubc.ca or call 604-822-5047. Please reference the study “Self and Social Perception” and let us know some times that we can contact you on the phone for 10-15 minutes.
Reimbursement/Time: $60 for 2 hours of your time. The first session will take 30 minutes and the second session will take 60 minutes. The online questionnaire takes approximately 5 minutes.
Study End Date: Study posted January 8, 2019. No end date specified.
Impact of dart-throwing practice on self-confidence and skill learning
Researcher: Sowmya (RA), and Dr. Nicola Hodges (PI)
Description:
Participants are needed for UBC study to investigate learning of a dart-throwing task. We examine how self-confidence can be affected by practice. Physiological measures of your heart rate and skin conductance levels will be measured during the experiment. None of these measures are invasive. You will wear a wrist strap, finger strap and have two disposable electrodes attached to your left palm. Reflective stickers would also be attached to your right shoulder, elbow, wrist and finger (hence wear a sleeveless shirt if possible!). Videos of your arm movement during dart throwing will also be recorded for analysis purposes. These video recordings will be accessed only by the experimenters and will be saved in a password-protected computer, locked in the laboratory.
Eligibility:
Due to the nature and aims of this study, we are only recruiting participants who:
1) Right-handed females only
2) Age: 19-50 or 18-50 (for UBC students)
3) Have perfect or corrected vision
4) No injuries to upper limbs or any known neurological disorder where overall movement will be adversely affected and atypical of the general population
5) Good written and verbal English proficiency (there will be questions and plenty of instructions)
6) Have *not* played darts or have minimal experience in dart throwing (**please check with Teresa via email)
7) NOT competitive athletes in a sport involving throwing accuracy with the upper limbs (e.g. basketball, softball; **check with Teresa if in doubt).
Location: 6081 University Boulevard (War Memorial Gym in Room 300 located on 3rd floor near bleachers) (http://www.maps.ubc.ca/PROD/index_detail.php?locat1=428)
Contact Information: Please contact Sowmya at KIN.MSL@ubc.ca Note: Please include “ATTN: DARTS” in the subject line of your email. Also please provide your phone number and ubc email if possible.
Reimbursement/Time: This study will take place across 2 consecutive days. Day 1 will take ~1.5 hrs and Day 2 will take ~30 min. Participants will be paid $12.65/hr (total time commitment ~2 hrs).
Study End Date: Ongoing
Study of Online Shared Accounts
Researcher: Borke Obada-Obieh, Yue Huang, and Prof. Konstantin Beznosov
Description: Participant will be involved in an interview session with UBC researchers. Participant will be interviewed either in person or over a video call.
Eligibility: In the last 12 months, participants must have stopped using an online account (e.g., Netflix, Amazon, online bank account), shared with either their romantic partner, parent, or child. OR participants are attempting to stop using a shared online account.
Location: At the participants’ preferred location or over a Skype video call.
Contact Information: Potential participants can take the eligibility survey using this link https://bit.ly/2S17lPS or send an email to Borke Obada-Obieh via borke@ece.ubc.ca
Reimbursement/Time: Participants will be compensated with $20 (for in-person interviews) or $20 Amazon Gift Card (for video interviews)/ Interviews will take about 1 hour.
Study End Date: Study posted January 4. No end date.
Aging and vision with eye-tracking
Researcher: Doris Chow (Post-doc) and Miriam Spering (PI)
Description: This study is about motion sensitivity and eye movements. You will look at visual stimuli presented on a monitor while your eye movements are being recorded with a video camera. You will also be asked to make manual responses to the specific features of the stimulus. Some of these judgments will be easy and other more difficult. Basic vision tests will also be performed.
Eligibility: 19-45 or 65-85 years old; normal or corrected-to-normal visual acuity (at least 20/40); no history of neurological, psychiatric or eye diseases (such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, or ‘lazy eye’)
Location: VGH, 818 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver
Contact Information: please email doris.hm.chow@ubc.ca for inquiries and scheduling
Reimbursement/Time: $15 at the completion of the study (60-75mins including breaks, one visit); if you do not fulfill the visual acuity requirement of the study such that we cannot proceed with the experiment, you will be compensated for $5 for your time.
Study End Date: No end date. Posted November 20, 2018
Transition to High School
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Study Title: A unique title used to identify your study
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 so participants can organize a time to participate
Reimbursement/Time: What participants will be paid and how long will the study take
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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.