If you have participated in research before as part of your psychology classes, you may be familiar with the previous system of signing up on a bulletin board and turning in an experiment card to the psychology office. That’s no longer how it works: now you can sign up for experiments on the web, from the convenience of any computer at any time. And your credit will be recorded on-line by the experimenter, so there are no more pesky cards to worry about, either. Here are the details...
Directions for initial visit to website:
1. Go to main sign-up website at http://experimetrix.com/penn.
2. Click on “New User” to register with the system and get a password.
IMPORTANT:
Instead of giving your first name when you register with the system, please give a code number instead. We recommend using your home phone number (that is, your parents’ home, or wherever you lived before coming to Penn–not your local phone number), including area code. You need to remember this code number, because it is the way experimenters will identify you to give you credit for your participation.
For the last name, please give your initials.
Please use the last 10 digits of your Penn ID for the student number. (Do not use your social security number or any other number.) Be sure your student number is accurate. We will use your student number to let your instructor know the amount of experiment credit you have received.
Your password will be sent to you by email. Please be sure you enter your email address correctly.
3. Once you have received your password, you MUST log in to the system within the next three days to keep your account active.
4. After logging in begin by clicking on “Edit Your Course Selection.” Select the course for which you will receive credit. After you have selected your course click on “Apply Changes” at the top of the screen.
*** IMPORTANT! If you do not select a course, your credit may not be properly reported to your instructor. ***
4. Go back one screen by clicking on the “Profile Options” button at the top of the screen.
5. If you would like to change your password, you may do so by clicking on “Edit Your Profile.” Make sure that your “first name” is a code number (we suggest your non-Penn home phone number), and your last name is your initials. After you have made any corrections click on “Apply Changes” at the top of the screen. You are now ready to sign up for a research session.
How to sign up for a research session:
1. Go to “Sign-up Home” website at http://experimetrix.com/penn
2. Click on “Sign-up” and choose the session which you want to attend. You will receive an email confirming that you signed up for a session and a reminder email the night before you are supposed to participate.
3. Please be sure that you meet all of the qualifications for a study before signing up for it.
4. Write down the location of the experiment and the experimenter's name. If you don't know where the building where the experiment is being held is located, look it up on a campus map (click on "campus maps" from Penn's homepage). Make sure you know where you're going in advance of the study--don't be late for or miss your experiment because you can't find the building.
5. You can cancel and/or reschedule your research appointment by using the “Sign-up” section of the “Sign-up Home” website http://experimetrix.com/penn.
Missing sessions without cancelling causes two problems: it is an inconvenience for the experimenter, and it prevents other students from signing up for that time slot. If you cannot attend a session that you have signed up for, you must cancel in advance. If you do not cancel in advance, you may be given a penalty. A penalty means that you will have to complete an additional hour of research on top of your requirement.
In summary, here’s what you need to do:
1. Log on to the system and register
2. Sign up for experiments
3. Show up at your appointment time
Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute!
Experiments will be running throughout the semester, and we encourage you to sign up and participate early. If you wait until the last minute, you may be faced with an unpleasant surprise when there are fewer experiments available or the sessions are all filled.
New experiments are posted at various times throughout the semester, depending on when individual experimenters are ready to begin their data collection. If no sessions are available when you sign in, check back in a week or so.
Questions?
If you have questions about how many hours of credit or extra credit are needed for your class, please refer to your syllabus or contact your instructor.
If you have questions about registering with Experimetrix or signing up for studies on the web, FIRST use the help functions on the website. Many common problems or frequently asked questions are addressed there. If you still are having problems, please contact the subject pool coordinator, Dr. Delphine Dahan, at dahan@psych.upenn.edu.
As a research participant, you have a right to be informed about any risks involved in the studies in which you participate. Most psychology studies have minimal risk, and all studies run in the Psychology Department must be approved by the Institutional Review Board, a group dedicated to protecting the welfare of human subjects. However, if you have further questions about your rights as a research participant, you may contact the Office of Regulatory Affairs at the University of Pennsylvania, at 215/573-2540.
updated April 12, 2002