Current Studies

The following research studies are actively recruiting participants. Please contact the researcher associated with any of the studies that interest you.

PBS researchers can list IRB approved studies on the website by completing our Human Subjects Study Google Form.

If you are an undergraduate looking to participate in Human Subject Research for classroom credit, please go to the Undergraduate SONA research page.

Study Number: 2018-5276
Contact: Erin McCarthy
Phone Number: (413) 461-0299
Room Number: Tobin 649
Type of Subject: Middle-aged Adult
Additional Subject Information: Please leave a message at (413) 461-0299 or email lipslab@umass.edu for more information about the study and to learn more about eligibility.
Time: Two visits: 3hrs + 3hrs

Description:

Adults 45 years and older (<60 years) are needed for a study on how seeing a speaker’s face helps with understanding what the speaker said. Researchers in the Language, Intersensory Perception, and Speech (LIPS) lab at UMass Amherst are seeking volunteers with American English as their first language. The study requires a 2-hour visit and a 3-hour visit to the lab on campus. Participants will be paid $10 per hour for their time. All personnel has volunteered to wear masks and currently only appointments for participants willing to wear doubled surgical masks are open. The first lab visit includes various computerized tasks that assess hearing, vision, and judgments about what a speaker says. The second visit involves recording the participants’ brain waves with an EEG cap on their head while they watch and listen to a speaker.

Compensation:
$10/hr for two 3hr visits
Study Number: 2716
Type of Subject: Adolescent, Type of Subject: Adult

Description:

Do you identify as Hispanic or Latina/o/x?

Do you identify as Hispanic or Latina/o/x? Are you between the ages of 13-19 years? Or are you the parent of someone that age? 

A team of health researchers are looking for parents and teenagers (ages 13-19) to participate together in a study on life experiences and health. The study involves an interview, surveys, and health measurements. 

Family members will be compensated up to $60 each for participating.
Participation is completely voluntary and all information collected is confidential.

If you are interested in learning more about the study, give us a call/text/email or message on social media. 

Email: familias@umass.edu 
Call/Text: (413)-200-8631 
Facebook/lnstagram: UMassFamLab 

Study Investigators: 
Airin Martinez, Ph.D. 
Evelyn Mercado, Ph.D. 

Study Number: 2014-2239
Contact: Ramiro Rea
Type of Subject: Adolescent

Description:

We are looking for:
• Healthy kids from 11-12 and 15-17 years old.

What we study?
• We study decision making using an online computerized game to understand your decisions.

What you would do?
You will play an online game where you must discover what gear makes a pilot better in a race by making choices using your keyboard. A researcher will set up the game for you and will be watching the session through a videocall.

Participants:
• Will receive a stipend (between $12 - $15).

Contact:
• Please contact Ramiro Rea in the Neuro-Learning & Performance Lab at 413-489-1209 or kwak.online.study@gmail.com

Study Number: 2018-5070
Contact: Allecia Reid
Room Number: Tobin 6th floor

Description:

During the lab study, you will be asked to provide information about yourself, your personality, and your alcohol use. You will also be asked to participate in an evaluation task.

Type of Subject: Individuals 21-30 years old who currently drink alcoholic beverages

Time: 5-10 minute eligibility survey and 1 hour for in-person study

Compensation: In exchange for completing the screener, you will be entered into a raffle for a $25 Amazon gift card. In exchange for the lab portion of the study, you will receive compensation at the rate of either two experimental research credits per hour of participation OR $15 per hour of participation.

Study Number: 3845
Type of Subject: Adult, Type of Subject: Middle-aged Adult
Additional Subject Information: Individuals of Cambodian descent
Time: 90-minute interview and/or a 1-hour focus group

Description:

This study explores the experiences of Cambodian or Khmer Americans. Participants will be asked to participate in a 90-minute interview and/or a 1-hour focus group, including questions about their experiences with loneliness, values, emotions, and important relationships.

Compensation:
$25 per half hour of participation
Study Number: 4420
Room Number: Tobin 206
Type of Subject: Adult
Additional Subject Information: 18-40 yo; native Chinese (普通话) speakers; received K-12 education in China conducted primarily in simplified Chinese; no history of language or reading disorder
Time: 75-90 minutes

Description:

In this study, you will read briefly-presented 
Chinese character strings while fixating on the center of a computer screen 
(your eye movements will be recorded to ensure central fixation) and judge 
the linguistic properties of the characters or words. The study will take 
75-90 minutes. You will be compensated for with $24 for your participation.
 

Compensation:
24
Study Number: 2854
Phone Number: 413-345-5346
Type of Subject: Children, Type of Subject: Adult

Description:

The UMass ViTAL Lab is seeking parent and child volunteers to help us learn more about how stress affects young children's feelings and behavior, and about what parents do to help their children manage stress.

You may be eligible if:
You are over the age of 18
Have a child between age 4-6

Contact us for more information!

You can earn up to $100 and your child can earn a gift valued at $15 by participating in this study. 
Participation is voluntary and information is confidential.

To learn more about how to participate, please email us at vitallab@umass.edu, call us at 413-345-5346 or scan this QR code & share your contact info with us - one of our staff will contact you.

 contact us today

 

Study Number: 0345, 0349
Phone Number: 413-545-4831
Type of Subject: Older Adult

Description:

older woman sleeping

The Somneuro Lab at UMass Amherst is recruiting for a variety of in-lab or at-home studies examining the relationship between sleep and memory in older adults.
Participants will be asked to complete a computer-based memory task and will then have their memory tested after sleeping or staying awake.
Compensation is available from $60-$200.

If interested, call (413) 545-4831 or email somneurolab+aging@gmail.com

Somneuro Lab, UMass Amherst
somneurolab.com

Study Number: 2360, 2401
Type of Subject: Adolescent

Description:

car drving

Researchers at the Learning Lab and the Human Performance Lab are studying teen drivers’ cognitive skills and their use of automated driving systems. They are seeking teen drivers who are ready to test for or have recently received their junior operator license. In the first visit, teen drivers will complete several computer tasks during a 45-minute session at the Learning Lab. In each of the next four visits, teens will complete a 60-minute driving session in the driving simulator at the Human Performance Lab. Participants should not be prone to motion sickness.

Teens can earn up to $150 for participation in all 5 sessions, and parents can earn up for $50. The full breakdown of compensation can be seen below:

Visit 1: $20 for teen, $10 for parent

Visit 2: $25 for teen, $10 for parent

Visit 3: $30 for teen, $10 for parent

Visit 4: $35 for teen, $10 for parent

Visit 5: $40 for teen, $10 for parent

Both lab locations are on the UMass Amherst campus. For more information, please contact Christina Hogan at TeenDriveStudy@gmail.com or fill out our intake form

Study Number: 4166
Type of Subject: Children
Additional Subject Information: Children ages 5-10 years old are welcome to participate in our study.
Time: This study will be online over Zoom so you and your child can participate at home. Depending on the activity and your child’s age, the study will last approximately 45 minutes.

Description:

Children are needed for a study examining how kids think about different toys. We are looking for children between the ages of 5-10 years old. Your child will play games related to toy choices and play a matching game. Parents will be asked to fill out paperwork about your family and your child's health and behavior. Scan the QRC and we'll reach out to you though email to set an appointment!

Compensation:
Participants will receive a $10 gift card as compensation through email. Your child will receive a certificate of participation as well.
Study Number: 1313
Type of Subject: Children

Description:

illustration of woman and children holding hands

What do kids think about people and the world around them? 
Researchers at UMass Amherst are recruiting kids ages 5-12 years to participate in a study! 

We are conducting a study about how kids who are Black, White, or Mixed (Black & White)* think their peers would interact with authority figures, like police or firefighters. 

The study will be conducted with a trained researcher through a one time visit on Zoom, which can be done in the comfort of your home. The session will last about 30-40 minutes and children will be compensated $5. 

Soon after the study, we hope to follow up with parents to complete a survey. Parents will also be compensated for completing the follow-up survey. 

Scan the QRC or visit this link to sign up for the study and we'll reach out to you though email to set an appointment! 

*children who identify as Multiracial or Mixed Black are still welcome to participate.

Project leader: Gorana Gonzalez, M.S. 
Contact: thecadlab@umass.edu 

thecadlab.org