The first step to joining our pool is to create a participant account. Please be sure to request a SONA account with a .edu email address only or your request will not be approved. If you are interested in studies that require you to be physically present at the experiment site, create an account on our SONA systems. (Unfamiliar with the SONA program? Please see the walkthrough section on the left for specific instructions). If you are interested in studies that you can contribute to online, create an account on our online database. Of course, feel free to sign up for both participant pools!
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The next step is to use your SONA or online account to browse and select available studies. A list of studies with available time slots is updated daily on this site, and with the creation of your SONA account you receive weekly notifications of upcoming studies. Another valuable resource is our twitter page, which is updated daily when study time slots are not completely filled. The tweet will contain the study name, time slot, compensation, and a link to sign up on SONA.
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Our studies on average run anywhere from a half hour to an hour. There may be studies that run longer as well, but compensation is relative to study length and difficulty. Compensation most often comes in the form of monetary reimbursement, on average $6 for a half hour study and $12 or higher for an hour study. Some researchers also choose to provide participants with candy or trinkets, and as a reward for consistent participation participants with zero unexcused “no-shows” in SONA are entered in a raffle for a grand prize at the end of the semester.
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You may notice that some studies say that they grant credit, but don't worry- all of our studies are, and always will be, pay-only. These credits are cosmetic and used for lab statistics, so please disregard this information. Credits do not impact your account in any way and are not redeemable for anything. Our studies will continue to post reimbursement information both in their abstracts and full descriptions on SONA. If the payment amount for any study is ever unclear please do not hesitate to contact the lab.
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A “no-show” is a term used on SONA to indicate a participant who signed up for a study but did not show up to the appointed time slot. No-show codes on SONA can be used to refer to participants who did not cancel or inform the researcher that they would not be attending (“unexcused”), or to refer to participants who had a complication making their appointment and reached out to the researchers (“excused”). It may also be used to label participants who show up late to their appointment. Unfortunately no-shows can have a negative effect not only by wasting the time or supplies of the researcher, but can also prohibit certain studies from being conducted if they require an exact number of participants. In order to discourage this often damaging practice the lab has placed a limit on the number of “unexcused no-shows” a participant can accumulate per calendar year. At one unexcused no-show the participant receives a warning e-mail, and at three unexcused no-shows a participant's SONA account is deactivated. At the end of the fall and spring semesters those participants with zero unexcused no-shows and few to zero excused no-shows who have participated in three or more lab studies are entered in a raffle for a prize. Please try to be considerate to researchers and realize that your attendance is important to them. If you ever think you will be unable to attend a study you signed up for, please contact the researcher and let them know so they do not expect you and give you a no-show. Please note that re-activation of SONA accounts occurs at the discretion of the lab, which may not necessarily be at the end of a given semester.
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As of the Fall '11 semester the lab is adopting a stricter lateness policy. Because being late can cause so many issues for the lab staff and researchers (as mentioned in the above no-shows section) all participants arriving to experiments late without notice should be prepared to receive an unexcused no-show. Please note that lateness cutoffs for participation are up to the researchers' discretion. If you think that you are going to be late either contact the researcher or the lab (212 854-5497).

The lab is also adopting a strict policy regarding the excuse of getting lost. Directions to our research spaces are listed several times on this website, the blast study announcement emails, the white board outside of the lab office, and the timeslot confirmation notice received when signing up for a study. Participants are given ample instructions and information about where studies are being held; getting lost or being unaware of where studies are held will not be accepted as excuses for absences or lateness and will not waive any unexcused no-shows acquired. It is the participant's responsibility to know where and when studies are being held.
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Participants who have participated in three or more of our lab's studies during the semester and who have accumulated zero (0) unexcused no-shows and few to zero excused no-shows for the current calendar year will automatically be entered in our raffle at the end of the semester. Participants who qualify will be emailed a couple weeks prior to the drawing. Participants may only win one prize per calendar year. Once the winner is selected the qualifying participants will receive an e-mail notification that the drawing is over, and the winner will receive an e-mail with specific instructions for picking up their prize. Raffles are held for the fall and spring semesters.
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Most of our studies take place in Behavioral Lab rooms. There are three rooms located directly adjacent to the lab underneath Uris Hall- B203, B204, and B205 (see our campus map for the lab location, or visit the “Resources” tab for specific directions). We also use room 304 in Uris Hall itself. All studies will list where the experiment is taking place on SONA.
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As a participant you have the rights to be treated ethically and respectfully, to be informed of the nature of the experiment, and to withdraw your participation at any time. All Behavioral Research Lab studies are approved by Columbia's Institutional Review Board, and researchers are required to obtain informed consent before every study and provide more information after the studies' conclusions. If at any time you have questions or concerns about your rights or welfare as a research subject, contact the Columbia University Morningside Institutional Review Board (IRB) at 212-851-7040 or 212-851-7044 (fax) or e-mail askirb@columbia.edu. Your safety and comfort are of paramount importance to us.
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You may choose to be removed from the Behavioral Research Lab mailing list at any point in time. In order to do so, please fill out our unsubscribe form. This will remove your email from the weekly study announcements list; you will still receive important messages from SONA such as study confirmations or cancellation notices. Please note that as of April 2011 unsubscribing will not deactivate your account. To deactivate your account, email the lab with the subject “deactivate”.
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Many participants struggle to find the Behavioral Research Lab on their first visit. We recommend checking our Directions to the lab, as it will make your visit smoother.
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