How to Sign Up for Studies on the Psychology Participant Pool

Step 1: Create an account (if you do not already have one) and login.

• Go to the Participant Pool website: http://newpaltz.sona-com/
• If you don’t already have an account, create one Once you have an account, log in.
• Here is the screen you should see after logging in:
  
  

• The “Points Overview” graph on the right side tells you how many points you have already earned, how many are pending (you have not yet earned the points from studies you signed up for), and how many are required.

• Some very important points about points:

  • The number of points listed as required varieeqs from student to student.

  • If you are a psychology major, it will be at least 12 required points because 12 points are needed to satisfy the requirement for psychology majors.

  • If any of your courses offer extra credit for SONA usage, the number of points they offer will be added to the tally for required points. So, if several of your classes do that during your time here, it is possible that your required points will rise to well over 20, as indicated on the right in the figure above.

  • Any extra points for courses are not technically “required” for you to earn – they are just extra, after all! Therefore, even if you don’t earn all of the required points, you can still graduate so long as you have completed 12 points toward the major.

  • You can only apply a study’s points to either the SONA Participant Requirement or a single class. 

Step 2: View the list of studies.

• Click on “View Available Studies.” The screen will list all active studies in alphabetical order:
  
  
• The list includes in-person studies, online studies, or talks from invited speakers.
• Although many studies are listed as “active,” they may not all have time slots available. Check regularly to see if new time slots become available (researchers often add more).
• To sign up for an activity that has time slots available, search for ones with the “Timeslots Available” button in the left column. Click on it to see a full description of the study – what it entails, where it is located, how long it lasts, how many points it is worth, etc.

• Here is an example of a study’s full description:
  
  

Step 3: Reserve a timeslot

• At this point, if the study still appeals to you, then click on “View Time Slots for This Study.”
• For In-Person Studies, you will see a list with many different time slots, mostly with study times in near future. If none of the time slots listed work for you, check again later to see if more have been added.
• For Lectures or Job Talks, you will see only one time slot for each lecture or job talk. These time slots tell you when the event will occur.
• For Online Studies, you will likely see only one time slot that is usually far in the future. You can complete the study anytime between now and that future date.
  

• Here is what the screen looks like for an online study:
  
  

• If you see a time slot that suits your schedule, select it by clicking “Sign-Up.”

Step 4: Allocate the points to either the SONA Participant Requirement or a class.

• The final step is to choose how to allocate the point(s) you earn after completing a study.
• For psychology majors, the default is to apply the points toward the SONA Participant Requirement (those 12 points you need to graduate).
• If you wish to assign points to the SONA Participation, then select the Course “SONA Participation Requirement, and then click “Sign-Up” to assign the points.

• If you wish to allocate the points to a specific course that is offering you extra credit for participation, then click the drop-down menu and select your course. Then press “Sign-Up” to assign the points.
  
  

• You can change your allocation (e.g., from the SONA Participation Requirement to a specific course, or vice versa) at any time before participating in the study. After that, however, you cannot change the allocation.

Step 5: Participate in the study.

• After reserving your time slot, you will see a confirmation page.
• For In-Person Studies or Lectures/Job Talks, mark the time slot on your calendar and show up at the event’s location a few minutes early.
• For Online Studies, you can participate immediately, or any time before the time slot date, by click the “Complete Survey Now” button.
• Typically, the researcher supervising the study will grant your points within a few days after you have participated. You can check the status by clicking on “My Schedule/Credits” at the top of the screen. Scan the list of studies to confirm which of them have been granted points.
• If you later learn that you are unable to complete an online or in-person study, make sure to cancel your reservation.
• To cancel a study reservation:
  • Click on “My Schedule/Credits” at the top of the screen.
  • You will see a list of all studies for which you have reserved a time slot.
  • Find the study you wish to cancel.
  • Click “Cancel” and on the next screen confirm this decision by clicking “Yes, I want to Cancel.”
  • IMPORTANT: Do not “No-Show.” If you miss your time without cancelling it beforehand, you will receive a “No-Show” mark. If you collect multiple “No-Show” marks, you will be barred from participating in other studies. Please avoid this by properly cancelling reservations when necessary.

Step 6: Get your points

• First, if you are participating in a study, then the Researcher is responsible for recording your participation.
• However, if you are attending a talk, then the procedure is somewhat different: attending the talk as well, there will be a representative of the Psychology Department sharing a sign-up sheet. You are responsible for signing this sheet to demonstrate your attendance.
• Please wait 5 business days for the Researcher(s) associated with the study you participated in or the talk that you attended to assign the points. You should get an email confirmation when you get the points assigned to your account.
• If you do not see the points added to your SONA account after 5 business days (or if the Common Exam Day is within the following 5 business days, then do not wait 5 business days), then your next step is to email the Researcher(s) associated with the study/talk.
• If you do not see the points added to your SONA account after 5 business days of emailing the Researcher(s) (or again, if the Common Exam Day is within the following 5 business days), then your next step is to forward your email (from the previous step!) to the Researcher(s) to the Participant Pool Coordinators at this linked email address.
• If you do not receive a response from the Participant Pool Coordinators within 5 business days, then please email the Department Chair.
• You are responsible for following up with the Researcher(s), then the Participant Pool Coordinators, and the Chair in that sequence. If you do not make prompt attempts to see your points appear according to your participation in studies or your attendance to talks by the last day of classes for the corresponding semester, we cannot guarantee you will receive the points, and you will need to provide firm evidence of your having participated/attended.

SONA Central Home