How does this all work? Policies & Procedures

What do I need to know about PSY 101 Research Participation?

All students enrolled in PSY 101 are expected to participate in research conducted by members of the Psychology Department – or to write reports on psychological research in psychology, as an alternative to research participation. You will have the opportunity to earn up to 4% of extra credit – up to eight hours of participation or report-writing – which can be achieved in any combination of the following:

• Complete on-line surveys or other online studies, posted on the ASU Psychology (Tempe) research participation website (SONA).  Each SONA credit (approximately one hour of participation) is worth 0.5% of extra credit. 
• Be part of any in-person studies offered through ASU Psychology on the Tempe campus, following ASU's COVID management strategies. Each SONA credit (approximately one hour of participation) is worth 0.75% of extra credit.
• Write research reports, summarizing published research from a curated list. Each article summary is worth 0.5% of extra credit.

You can earn 0.5% of extra credit at the beginning of the semester by simply filling out the Psychology Department Research Questionnaire. Depending on your responses, this questionnaire may qualify you for other studies – those that require an invitation code. You will receive an email when the survey is open for participation. This questionnaire is available only for a limited time. You will be notified by email when it becomes available.

What if I'm under 18 years old?

Federal laws protecting the rights of research participants restrict participation in experiments and research studies to students who are 18 years of age or older. As such,  you will not be allowed to participate in research until you reach the age of majority (18 years old).

• If you turn 18 during the semester that you are taking PSY 101, then you may sign up to participate in experiments that are held after your birthday.  However, if your birthday is late in the semester, note that spots fill up fast towards the end of the semester.  You may want to consider writing research summaries for extra credit.
• If you don't turn 18 during the semester, then only the report-writing alternative is available to you for this extra-credit opportunity.

What if I've taken PSY 101 before?  Do any research credits from past semesters count toward my current PSY 101 class?

If you failed (or withdrew from) a previous PSY 101 course -- and had participated in research or written article summaries for that course -- those credits will not count  as extra credit towards the PSY 101 course you are registered for this semester. Only credits earned in the current semester will allow you to earn extra credit toward your PSY 101 grade.

What if I have further questions?

Email psywebmaster@asu.edu for general assistance with questions not addressed on these web pages. Please do not email the webmaster to cancel research appointments.

Please note this email is only monitored between 9am and 4 pm Monday through Friday -- and due to email volume, please allow 1-2 business days to receive a response.