How does this all work? Policies & Procedures

What do I need to know about the PSY 101 Research Requirement?

All students enrolled in PSY 101 are required 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 be required to earn 6 credits – approximately six hours of participation or report-writing – which can be achieved in any combination of the following:

• Be part of in-person studies, earning you 0.5 to 3 credits each (no maximum)
• Complete on-line studies, earning you 0.5 to 3 credits each (3 credits maximum)
• Write a research report (or reports), earning you 1 credit each (no maximum)

You can earn 1 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, be careful about putting off completing the requirement, since spots fill up fast towards the end of the semester.
• If you don't turn 18 during the semester, then you should complete the report writing alternative to earn the six credits to fulfill the requirement.

What if I've taken PSY 101 before?  Do I have to complete the requirement again?

If you failed a previous PSY 101 course and have completed all or some of the experiment requirements during that course, those experiment credits will not count towards the PSY 101 course you are registered for this semester. You must complete all new research requirements

If you are completing the research participation credits for a previous semester and can’t log into the system, you will need to send an e-mail to psywebmaster@asu.edu requesting access to the system.  Please include your name, ASU ID 1000 number, and the semester and year you took PSY 101 before. 

What happens if I don’t complete the research participation requirement?

You must complete the six-credit requirement before the last day of classes during the semester in which you are enrolled in PSY 101.  If you fail to complete the requirement, you will receive a grade of Incomplete (“I”) on your transcript. 

A grade of incomplete results in being unable to register for courses that list PSY 101 as a pre-requisite, e.g., PSY 230; it may also affect scholarships and financial aid.

If the requirement is still unmet after one year, the grade of incomplete (“I”) will automatically turn into a failing grade (“E").

How do I get the Incomplete ("I") removed from my transcript?

If you receive a grade of Incomplete ("I") because of a failure to complete this course requirement, the "I" will be removed from your transcript -- and the grade will be changed to the grade you earned in the course -- after you complete the six required credits. Credits to complete the requirement can be earned either during the Spring, Summer, or Fall Semesters, through either research participation or report writing.

You can remove the “I” from your transcript -- and receive the grade you earned in the course -- by contacting psywebmaster@asu.edu to request the grade change once you have completed the requirement . The grade change is not automatic.

IMPORTANT: 

• Once the Incomplete appears on your transcript (for failure to complete the requirement), your course grade will be handled directly by the Psychology Department through the psywebmaster@asu.edu email address. You do not need to contact your PSY 101 instructor about completing the requirement or requesting the grade change.  Any journal article summaries must be submitted directly to psywebmaster@asu.edu for review; to get credit, be sure to follow all applicable instructions for report writing.
• Do not re-take the class if you earned a passing grade in PSY 101 and have an incomplete only because of the research participation requirement.

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, it may take a day or two to respond to questions.