PARTICIPANTS GUIDE TO SCHOOL OF PSYCHOLOGY (SOP) PLYMOUTH PSYLAB PAID SYSTEM Contents: Signing up to the database Page 2 Logging in Page 3 Complete the questionnaire Page 5 Change your password Page 6 Signing up for Studies Page 7 Check your schedule Page 10 Location of the School Page 11 Frequently asked questions Page 11 Page 1 of 12
SIGNING UP TO THE DATABASE To access the Plymouth PsyLab home page follow the link www.plymouthpsylab.org, which appears in our leaflets and posters. This page explains about our two participation systems for adults and children. By clicking on the green sign link, you will navigate to the page below, which gives more details about participation and payment. You will need internet access, an email account and to be within travelling distance of the Plymouth campus to be able to use the participation system and take part in studies. Click on the Sign up button to get to the first page of the Plymouth PsyLab database. Here you will need to read the instructions and fill out some basic details about you. Plymouth PsyLab runs alongside an internal points system for Psychology students, so some questions you will be asked relate only to internal students, like Student ID Number, please ignore these questions. If you have never studied psychology to degree level, then you will need to choose the Paid Public option under Course. Page 2 of 12
This will allow you to see and sign up for the majority of paid studies. If you have studied psychology to degree level in the past, then please choose the Psychology Staff & Grads group. After you click on the Request Account button at the bottom of the page you will be sent an email with a randomly generated password, which we recommend you change to something more memorable. LOGGING IN You can use the links on this email to get to the log in page for Plymouth PsyLab or type in https://uopsop.sona-systems.com/default.aspx?logout=y in the address bar. Enter the details given in the email. The first time you login you will be asked to read and agree to the Human Subjects/Privacy Policy. Page 3 of 12
You need to read this as it tells you about your rights as a participant and some information about the participation system. At the bottom, click on Yes to signify your agreement and move to the next screen. Here you can sign up for studies and check the progress of those you have participated in. You can click on FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) to get help at any point. Page 4 of 12
COMPLETE THE QUESTIONNAIRE You must then answer six basic questions about yourself. This enables you to see studies that you qualify to participate in. Click on Record Responses to save your answers and move on. Page 5 of 12
Note the System message box. This box will be used to give you messages about the progress of the action you have taken. CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD This is the screen that will normally appear once you have logged in to the system. The first time you login, it is strongly recommended that you go to My Profile ( ) and change your password to something that you are likely to remember easily. Page 6 of 12
Type in your current password and then the new one twice. Remember to click Update so the details are changed on the system. You will then be returned to the previous screen where you can sign up for studies. SIGNING UP FOR STUDIES By clicking on View available studies, under Study Sign-Up, you will be presented with a list of current studies. All studies that are active and have available time slots will be shown. The studies are listed in a random order each time you log in, this is so that studies at the top of the list do not get an unfair advantage. If you only want to see studies for a particular day, click into the date box and a calendar will open so you can select a date, then click on GO Page 7 of 12
Please make sure you choose to sign up for studies described with (? Pounds) which are the paid studies, rather than points. By clicking on the Timeslots Available, beside the study you wish to sign up for you will get the following screen. This tells you about the study, please take note of any restrictions on your participation. Click on the View time slots text to move on. Decide which slot you want to sign up for and click on the appropriate Sign Up button. The next screen gives you the information you will need to attend the study. It is important that you make note of the time, location and the name of the experimenter. Page 8 of 12
This will help the technical office to help you find the study location/experimenter if there are any last minute changes. When you click to sign up you will get an email confirmation, giving you the details, please don t delete this email until you have taken part. Page 9 of 12
CHECK YOUR SCHEDULE You can check your schedule on the front screen of your account. Signups will be shown here. It is very important that as a participant you attend experiments that you sign up for. If you need to cancel, you must give notice by 16:00 the day before the study is to take place (or before 16:00 on a Friday if the study is booked for a Monday). If you cancel after this point you will get a No show on your record. If you have a valid reason for missing the study time, contact the researcher to make alternative arrangements to do the study. If you fail to participate for 3 studies you will receive a warning email notifying you of this. After missing 6 studies you are locked out of signing up for any more this is cumulative, not 6 in a row. You will need to explain your reasons for the No shows for any to be excused by the researcher or an administrator and how to avoid this happening in future. You can then request to be re-admitted to the participation system. If you do not act on the warnings, you will be permanently locked out of the system. Page 10 of 12
LOCATION OF THE SCHOOL The research laboratories in the School of Psychology, where most studies take place, can be found in Link Building on the Plymouth University city centre campus at Drakes Circus. From North Hill, with Plymouth Central Library and the pedestrian crossing behind you, the tall building in front of you is Davy. There are some large, rounded automatic doors at the southern end of Davy Building, come through these and take the lift or stairs to the floor indicated by the 1 st digit of the room number where the study will take place, e.g. room 113 is located on the 1 st floor and room 211 is located on the 2 nd floor. If you have just exited the lift, the door to your right leads into Link Building (if you are at the top of the stairs you need to take the door on your left). Follow the corridor along until you find the correct room number. There is a campus map to help you find us here http://www.plymouthpsylab.org/ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 1. What course should I choose on the Request an Account form? If you have not studied psychology to degree level, choose Paid Public to be placed in the group which can see and sign up for paid studies. If you have studied psychology to degree level, choose Psychology Staff & Grads. 2. What is the URL for the points system? http://uopsop.sona-systems.com/ - will take you to the participation pool login page. 3. What is my user ID and password? I forgot. Click on the link given on the log-in page where it says: Forgot password? You will be sent an email with your details. 4. How do I make sure I sign up to paid and not points studies? In the first line of the description of the study there is a value in brackets. This will either be a points value or a pounds value. Make sure you only sign up for the studies with a pounds value in brackets after the study title. (e.g. (4 pounds)) 5. I missed a study - what happens? You will need to contact the researcher to arrange to do the study at another time if they are agreeable, otherwise you will get a No show on your record for that study. If you have a good excuse (e.g. you were sick), the researcher may excuse you at their discretion. 6. I showed up for an experiment but the researcher wasn't there - what happens? Page 11 of 12
You can contact the researcher and arrange another time to participate. However, it is often the case that the participant showed up on the wrong date or the wrong time, so please double check first. If the researcher has not given notice of cancellation of the experiment before 16:00 on the day before, then you are entitled to payment for your participation as you turned up for the study. You will need to contact the researcher in these circumstances, which may take some time if they are off sick. Otherwise you can contact pooladmin@psy.plymouth.ac.uk or call (01752) (5)85880 with your grievance. 7. An emergency has arisen and I need to cancel. Is this possible? If you need to cancel, you must give notice by 16:00 the day before the study is to take place (or before 16:00 on a Friday if the study is on a Monday). So long as notice is given by 16:00 the day before, either the participant or researcher can cancel the appointment without penalty. 8. The researcher has cancelled on me. What shall I do? Researchers will make every effort to contact you by email with as much notice as possible - it is always worth checking your email in the morning to save a wasted journey. Obviously there may be occasions where the message fails to reach you and you get to the room to find a notice on the door saying that the researcher has called in sick. If the researcher cancels later than 16:00 the day before the session, then you are entitled to claim your payment anyway. The researcher will normally offer to reschedule the appointment, and this is preferable as then you will get the added benefit of having taken part in the study and been given the full brief and debrief. 9. I tried to log onto the system, but it is not letting me sign up for more studies. What is going on? At certain times of the year there are sometimes very few paid studies available. This is because of the internal points system for psychology students. During term time, from mid-september until March, there are sometimes very few paid studies as studies are being offered for points. The best time for participating in paid studies is from April until mid-september. Not only are you likely to receive a No show if you fail to turn up, but after 3 penalty 'no-shows' you will be sent an email warning, and at 6 you will be permanently locked out of the system and barred from signing up to any more experiments until you have explained your reasons and agreed to participate within the rules. Only then can an administrator allow you back in to the system again. Page 12 of 12