Joining the Participant Pool

Our participant pool is comprised of individuals who would like to take part in studies offered by the BRL. When you join our participant pool, you are not signing up for a specific study. Instead, you are gaining access to an online system that we use to post all our studies. You can then log into that system anytime to sign up for studies you would like to complete.

Yes. On Sona, you are identified to researchers by a numerical identity code, and not by your name. In some cases, researchers may request personal information (e.g., your email address) for administrative purposes (e.g., to process payments). Such information will not be associated with the data you provide during studies. All personal information and research data will be stored in secured locations accessible only to authorized personnel. Furthermore, researchers will only present aggregate data in publications; no individual responses will be released.

Our participant pool is open to both MIT and non-MIT individuals. To join our participant pool, you must satisfy the following criteria:

• You are at least 18 years of age.
• You live in the United States.
• You are able to understand written and spoken English without difficulty.

Yes. Individuals from anywhere in the U.S. can join our participant pool. Individuals who are based in the Greater Boston Area may opt into both online and in-person studies. Individuals who are based elsewhere in the U.S. may participate in online research.

You deserve to be treated respectfully, kindly, and justly. We honor the decisions you make as an autonomous individual. We seek to design and conduct research that minimizes potential risks, maximizes potential benefits, and promotes fairness for all participants.

Before a study begins, you will be given information about the purpose of the study, the types of activities the study involves, the potential risks you might face (if any), the payment amount and schedule, the methods used to protect your data, and other details that will enable you to make an informed decision on whether to participate. You will be asked to provide consent either by signing a printed consent form (for lab studies) or by agreeing to a consent statement on a web browser (for online studies).

Your participation in our studies is completely voluntary. You should be allowed to enter into a study freely and without any pressure from researchers. Moreover, you have the right to withdraw from a study at any point and for any reason.

Please be aware that researchers do not have access to your personal information on Sona. Furthermore, no personal information will be collected during a study, unless such information is integral to the research topic or is necessary for certain administrative procedures (e.g., processing payment). In any case, your personal information and research data will be stored in secured locations accessible only to authorized personnel.

You are entitled to receive reasonable compensation for your participation in studies. Researchers are expected to pay participants in a timely manner. If a performance-based payment system is used, the criteria for determining how much money one will receive should be objective in nature and clearly communicated to participants before a study begins.

Please arrive on time for lab studies. If you signed up for a study but can no longer participate, please cancel your registration on Sona in advance. If you are running late to a lab session or need to cancel less than 12 hours in advance of your time slot, please email lab-manager@mit.edu with your name, the name of the study, and the time slot for which you registered. We will reach out to you as necessary. Late participants might not be allowed to enter the lab. In addition, participants who have accumulated three or more unexcused no-shows will not be able to view or sign up for studies in the future. 

Staying informed includes having a thorough understanding of BRL policies and procedures, checking your email regularly for study-specific information (announcements from researchers, study cancellations, etc.), and reading the consent form or consent statement carefully before participating in a study.

Unless you wish to withdraw from a study, please follow all written and oral instructions provided by researchers. Please answer questions truthfully and complete tasks to the best of your ability.

Please do not hesitate to ask researchers any questions before, during, or after your involvement in studies. If you have a general inquiry about the BRL, please send an email to lab-manager@mit.edu.

After completing a study, please do not disclose any of its details to people you know. Likewise, please do not ask others to provide details about studies they have already completed.