How do I get an account to log into the RPP system?

At the end of the second week of classes, each student will receive an e-mail that contains his/her log-in information and instructions on how to begin using the system. When you log in for the first time, you will be required to complete a short online background information survey consisting of a series of short questionnaires. You will also indicate when you are typically free during the week. This online survey is a prerequisite for participation in the various studies being conducted. This questionnaire process must be completed no later than the end of the third week of classes. Failure to complete this process by this deadline is treated the same as not showing up to a study without cancelling (see explanation below).

How do I use the RPP system?

The RPP system was designed to be intuitive and easy to use. You will understand how to do most things just by logging in and looking at the web page.

For more detailed instructions on how to use all of the features of the RPP computer system, please download the Sona Systems Instruction Document for Participants (requires free Adobe Acrobat Reader ).

The RPP coordinator is also available to help you learn how to use the system.

How much research do I have to participate in?

If you are a student enrolled in PSY 101 or PSY 202, then you are required to complete four units (see below) of research participation.

If you are a student enrolled in a psychology course that is not PSY 101 or PSY 202, then the amount of research you should participate in is up to your instructor. You should speak to him/her to answer this question.

What counts as a "unit" of research participation?

A unit corresponds to 30 minutes of participation. Therefore, a one-hour study would count as two units of research participation. The unit value of a study, which ranges anywhere from one unit (30 minutes of research participation) to four units (2 hours of research participation), will be indicated in the study description.

What if I am enrolled in both PSY 101 and PSY 202?

You are required to complete four units of participation for PSY 101 and four units of participation for PSY 202. Therefore, you are required to complete a total of eight units of participation.

What if I fail to complete my course's RPP requirement?

If you are a student enrolled in PSY 101 or PSY 202, failure to complete the mandatory research participation requirement by the deadline listed above will result in you receiving an Incomplete in the course.

If you are a student enrolled in a psychology course that is not PSY 101 or PSY 202, then the effect of not participating in RPP research is up to your instructor. You should speak to him/her to answer this question.

How do I get matched with a study?

There are two main ways that you can be matched with a particular study:

Self-Scheduling: Most of the time, you will sign yourself up to participate in a study. You can browse the list of available studies on the RPP system. The website lists each study that is available by its name. It also gives the name of the researcher, any restrictions on who can participate, and a brief description of the study. If you find one that fits your schedule, you can sign up to participate at a particular time.

Researcher Scheduling: Although it is less common, researchers may also search for students who meet the requirements for their study and sign them up for a time that fits in the student’s schedule. The RPP system calls this “manual scheduling”. It is important to remember that researchers will not see any participant names. Instead, they will see the student’s unique ID code. Please note that, although there is currently no way to set this up in the RPP system, we ask researchers to schedule participants with at least 24 hours notice. If you are given less than 48 hours notice, you are free to cancel this appointment (at least eight hours before the study) if you wish. You may also cancel this appointment if you choose not to participate after reading the study description. However, if you would like to participate, but at a different time, simply contact the researcher to reschedule.

A couple important things to keep in mind:

1. After you are signed up, you will receive an e-mail confirmation of your appointment with the study’s name and information about when and where it will take place.
   • Print and save this confirmation notice to know the (a) name, (b) location, (c) date/time, and (d) researcher contact information for the study. Keeping this information is very important! Because other studies may also be going on nearby, you will need to know the study’s name and the researcher’s contact information.
   • Make sure to go to the study, and please be on time! Most studies have to start on time, because many students are scheduled around the same time. If you are late, you may miss the study. Give yourself enough time to find the right place. Researchers’ time is valuable, and they often take a lot of trouble to be ready for you!
2. Do not wait to be scheduled for a study by a researcher. Instead, you must regularly check the RPP system website throughout the semester for opportunities to sign up for research. Different studies will become available gradually, over the course of the semester, rather than "all at once".

Why are different studies available to different people?

There are several possibilities: the study may be over, meaning that the researchers are finished collecting information from students; there may not be any available time slots at the current time; or you may have different eligibility.

How are units of participation credited?

After each study, the researcher running the study will give you credit for participation through the RPP website. It may take a day or two for credit to show up on the website.

How do I check to see if my credit has shown up?

You can easily check your credits on the RPP system at any time and you are encouraged to do so. You can also see your scheduled studies and (both past and upcoming) with dates, times, places. This is a good way to keep track of your progress towards completing the participation requirement over the course of the semester.

If it has been more than two days and you have still not received credit for your participation, contact the RPP coordinator (see link to the left of this web page) who will verify that you participated in the study and make sure you receive appropriate participation credit.

Can I cancel an appointment?

If you become sick or have some kind of emergency come up at the last minute, you can cancel your appointment on the website as late as eight hours before the study. If there are fewer than eight hours before the study, call and/or email the researcher as soon as possible so that you can be rescheduled and another student may take your vacated time slot.

What if I fail to show up without cancelling?

Please remember that when you sign up for a study you are making a commitment to show up for that appointment. The same is true for studies that researchers sign you up for. You should check your schedule and make sure you can commit the to the time. If you cannot make the appointment, you must cancel it immediately. Participants who fail to appear for a scheduled appointment, without at least eight hours notification, will receive a “no-show”. Being a no-show is a serious problem because both other student participants and the researchers are depending on you, and it means you have missed an educational opportunity.

If you are a student enrolled in PSY 101 or PSY 202, the penalty for receiving a no-show is an increase in the number of units of participation you must earn by two (equivalent to one additional hour). For instance, a student in PSY 101 who no-shows for a study without cancelling will then be required to complete a total of six units of participation.

If you are a student enrolled in a psychology course that is not PSY 101 or PSY 202, then the effect of not showing up to RPP research is up to your instructor. You should speak to him/her to answer this question.

What if the experimenter fails to show up?

First, you should make sure that you are in the correct location. If you are in the correct location, wait at least 15 minutes. If the researcher does not show up, send an e-mail to the RPP coordinator (see link to the left of this web page) who will verify that you attended the scheduled session and make sure you receive the appropriate participation credit.

What if there are not enough studies?

The department will make every effort to make it possible for you to satisfy your course’s research participation requirement via studies, but in case we are not able to do so, you will need to write papers.

For instance, let’s say that you are a student in PSY 202 and you have only participated in one hour-long study (worth 2 units) without any no-show penalties. If there are no more studies for you to do, you will also need to complete one of the written assignments (also worth 2 units). That will satisfy the four units of participation you need for PSY 202.

Keep in mind that you may complete a writing assignment at any time during the semester to count for participation units.

How is my privacy protected?

The RPP system automatically assigns each participant a unique numeric ID code. The purpose of the ID code is to identify participants to researchers in a way that does not reveal their identity or compromise their privacy. Researchers using the RPP system only know participants by their ID code, and not their name.

Additionally, the only people who know who is a participant in a study are the participant, the study researcher, and the RPP coordinator. No other users, including other participants, researchers, or your instructor, may see this information. For instance, if you are enrolled in PSY 101 or PSY 202, your instructor will simply know whether or not you fulfilled the mandatory research participation requirement. He/She will have no idea what you did to satisfy that requirement though.

Furthermore, know that all data you provide, whether they be answers to a questionnaire or responses in a laboratory experiment, are maintained in a way that prevents public or general access. Unless you have given explicit and written permission, none of the data you provide will be published or otherwise disseminated in a manner that allows you to be personally identified.

Who is responsible for addressing my issues?

For students enrolled in PSY 101 or PSY 202, the RPP coordinator will answer all questions about the mandatory research requirement itself and the operation of the RPP system. Instructors of these courses should direct any students with a question, problem, or complaint to the RPP coordinator. Only the RPP coordinator can make determinations regarding whether the research participation requirement has been met. This approach is designed to ensure that the mandatory research participation requirement is handled in a way that is fair and consistent across courses and instructors.

For students enrolled in a psychology course that is not PSY 101 or PSY 202, the RPP coordinator will answer all questions about the operation of the system (including complaints). However, the instructor of the course is responsible for answering question regarding research participation issues that are specific to that course (e.g., “how much extra credit will I earn?”, etc.).

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