Given the SPRQL is undergoing a change for number of researchers as well as the number of hours each researcher will work; this might provide a more manageable scheduling experience. In order to maximize the resources available in the lab and to ensure that this process is completed as smoothly as possible:
Ask researchers for their schedules about 1-2 weeks before the semester starts, including hypothetical changes that might occur past the wait-list deadlines;
Compile the availabilities into one large “Availability” document in which the availability for each researcher on any given day is marked with an “x”;
Whenever the researcher is scheduled on the second sheet, that can be done in blocks (generally 4-6 hours should be the maximum to avoid burnout); write in a “1” where the “x” used to be;
Have a column that adds up all the 1s in a row, so that this can be calculated in one easy step to ensure no researcher is overworked (past 10-12 hours per week);
The third sheet can be devoted to the lab roster, and the fourth towards “outside the lab roles” (e.g., data coding, stimulus development, literature reviews, etc.).
This can also be used to indicate the ranks of researchers (not in an unethical way, but to be realistic in terms of skills, dedication, and experience). ***ENSURE THAT WHEN YOU UPLOAD THIS DOCUMENT TO A GOOGLE DRIVE OR ANOTHER FORMAT, THAT YOU DO NOT INCLUDE THE FIRST SHEET OF THE DOCUMENT WITH THE FILE – THIS WILL INDICATE YOUR NOTES ABOUT THE RESEARCHERS THAT THEY SHOULDN’T SEE***. Also, make sure copies of these are stored so that they can be used for future reference (e.g., seeing when researcher X was in the lab to explain what happened during the time they ran participant Y, etc.).
The best way to train researchers is to form a team of very experience seniors who are experienced in the methods of the laboratory and allow them to hold training sessions with the supervision of a graduate student, lab manager, or investigator on the project.
Rules of the lab should be confirmed with every incoming research assistant before they are fully admitted to the lab (and these might be amended into the future depending on experiences by the investigators):
Food and/or Drinks are not permitted around any workspace that contains a PC, Mac, or any physio recording devices of any kind;
Outside researchers are not permitted to work inside the areas of the lab – this is due to the confidential and private documents that are stored behind the locked doors of the lab that only trained personnel should have access to;
RAs should arrive to the lab 15 minutes prior to their experiment slot and be ready and waiting for participants approximately 5-10 minutes before their arrival (e.g., 5-10 minutes prior to the hour);
RAs should not be permitted to miss experimental slots – this could be grounds for dismissal given the way it portrays the lab in a negative way and shows disrespect to participants;
Participants should try to provide some sort of notice if they wish to cancel an experiment before arriving at the lab; e.g., experiments should actively advertise participants should try to provide 24 hours notice that they cannot attend a lab session so that they may be cancelled effectively and another participant may sign up – this will be at the discretion of Professor Page-Gould, however and is subject to change;
If participants are not comfortable doing experiments at any time, it’s the researchers responsibility to ensure the participant leaves the lab in a state that was equal to the state they arrived (if positive), and ensuring that the participant has any questions answered and any resources they may need to address their concerns (e.g., contact information, clear answers to questions they have about procedures, etc.). They should also be able to withdraw at any point after entering the lab door without any penalty to their credits as promised (unless they show up to the door and indicate they would like to cancel their participation – which would be a simple cancellation).
Researchers should be trained thoroughly for psychophysiology procedures, but this should be avoided for new students as much as possible. These students will probably have no experience running participants in any sort of experimental procedure and it’s best to have them start on behavioural and self-report experiments before assigning them to these more complex procedures.
These sessions will typically take between 1.5-2 hours in duration, so researchers and the trainers should allocate this much time for the session;
During the course of training, researchers should be trained on the software, the room structures, the troubles that can be encountered when using the equipment, and how to properly hookup a participant;
Once the session is over, researchers should pair-up and ensure they are not making errors when the participant is present – this will ensure the participant respects and acknowledges the skills of the researcher (to allow for their trust during the experiment);
An experienced graduate student and/or the lab manager should monitor these sessions to ensure that the hookups are done appropriately – given the smaller size of the lab (RA-wise), this should be much easier to complete;
A secondary session should be provided to explain why psychophysiology is necessary for the purposes of the lab, and how each measure works so that when participants are curious about the measures (or as the researcher hooks each measure up), they can explain this coherently to participants – again providing the demonstration of training and skills necessary to gain a participant’s trust.
After having the participant in the room and ready to hook them up to the psychophysiology equipment, ensure that the participant is completely comfortable and that all components of consent forms are understood.
Recording psychophysiology data is very resource-intensive and takes time and effort. Therefore, it’s in the best interest of the researcher and participant to minimize the time spent with the participant under the measures while also maximizing data collection (provided that informed consent was given).
During the course of data collection (and before the participant arrives), the following items should be addressed during recruitment and the participant hookup:
Is the participant within their BMI (body mass index) ratio?
Did the participant exercise or take stimulants (e.g., caffeine, nicotine, etc.) 4 hours before the experiment?
Participants should be gender-matched at all possible scenarios; technically under REB, female RAs may hook up a male participant to the equipment but male RAs cannot do this for female participants (for obvious reasons). Still, it is in the best interest that the participant be informed of whether the researcher will be female (if it’s a male participant) so they do not feel overly self-conscious or embarrassed. They could also be given the option to be notified if the RA will be female (e.g., advertise that the slot is a general slot for males and females, and have a separate “all-male” recruitment slot).
Running the participant through a health-intake interview prior to data collection is ideal in order to collect as much data on the individual differences in physiology between participants that may not be attributed to the experimental variables of interest.
Things to watch out for once the participant is being fully hooked up to the machines and after they are ready for recording:
Sanitize hands before touching the participant anywhere on their body – this is a good will gesture and makes them feel comfortable;
Ensure the participant is sitting with their feet flat on the floor, not postured up in a way that their back would appear straight (for baseline recordings);
Ensure that they do not have any cell phone turned on, that will disturb the recordings;
Watch for any signs of movement that could alter the way data is being recorded live on the software.
This is the program we use for recording participant data as well as coding psychophysiology data. This program has multiple functions, and each should be paid attention to carefully because of the resources needed to collect psychophysiology data from a single participant.
For setting up any experimental recording for a study, the template needs to be configured first. The template should turn on the specific channels required for recording in a study (e.g., PPG, GSR, ECG, IMP, etc.). Also, the template should be preset for recording times, and be set to a “record once” recording format to begin. The channels shouldn’t be touched for each template as well, given the BIOPAC MP150 should already be configured with these machines.
Once the template is set, ensure that all researchers know that the “record once” function is used so that they can calibrate the signals – ensuring they are coming in clearly and appropriately before starting full experimental recordings;
During the course of the experiments, RAs will need to closely monitor signals, given electrodes can lose signals from coming loose, or participant movement (e.g., a participant crossing their legs or even posturing-up can alter signals drastically and can confound data);
During the course of the experiments, RAs should be instructed clearly if they need to change recording times to append; Append = the next time the “record” button is pressed, the data will be recorded on the “back-end” of the already recorded data; Record Once = the next time the “record” button is pressed, the data will overwrite whatever was already recorded. It is essential to make sure data is not recorded over!
Once data is fully recorded, is VERY important to ensure the data is labelled correctly and placed in the right folder. This will allow sorting by the lab manager to go by much quicker, than if files are wrongly named. Also, the files should be kept in a “raw” and “un-scored’ folder separately, for quick access to raw data files as well as time stamps for data collection.
Here is a link for the psychophysiology coding generally done in the lab given by Liz (note: this is a privatized link and should only be shared with the appropriate members of the lab):
Also, for links on the coding files (how to score each type of recorded measurement), please download the links below:
These cameras have wall mounts that may be used to place these cameras in front of participants during any type of experiment procedure. These have been previously used to face participants for Halo 4 video game recordings, and have high resolution for fairly good facial movement coding (by a researcher).
The recording programs are installed on the video recording PC for the lab;
The program is finicky in the sense that the cameras need to be installed through a “network switch” and then connected via IP address to the recording program. These should already be preset and should not require any configuration adjustments, unless the feeds present any problems.
The cameras can be set to manually record, and allow for a continuous recording; although the recordings may come out segmented and require name changes and appropriate labelling.
These drives are used for backing up all participant data collected in the lab environment. All participant data is completely confidential and must not be shared outside the lab environment or carried outside the locked doors of the lab (e.g., anything personally-identifying especially).
In order to ensure all data is kept and stored safely, backups should be done weekly. One specific time period on one specific day per week should be maintained during each semester that participant data is being recorded. In the event of a hard drive failure for any of the PC towers in the lab, the backup will be the resource that will have all the data ready for recovery.
All 2.5″ hard drives should be considered a VERY “short-term” backup space. The reason is, these are generally very fragile and can be unstable. If the hard drive survives past a few weeks or months, it might have some stability, but this cannot be trusted. Keep the hard drive “padded” (e.g., bubble wrapped) and ensure it’s in a secure location. Any physical damage can cause immediate corruption (unfortunately…). The 2.5″ Hitachi hard drive in the lab is used as a mobile drive for backing up in the lab, so the lab manager may move between each PC without dragging the larger drive (see below) and needing to plug it in each time a backup is completed.
A 3.5″ hard drive is preferable for holding data in general, because these generally have more capacity and can withstand more physical movement. The 3.5″ Western Digital in the lab has all the backup data from the recording PCs of the lab. Remember to have all short-term data from the 2.5″ drive put onto this drive.
***Suggestion*** – Mirror the 3.5″ drive, just in the worst-case scenario it fails. What this could mean is investing in another 3.5″ drive (it may cost around $70-$110) to ensure that both drives have all the data at one time. If there is a way to have this done automatically, that would be ideal. The reason is, if your reliable 3.5″ suddenly doesn’t synchronize with a PC and/or Mac one day, it could be the unfortunate foreboding that a backup data recovery company is the next number to dial.
***Suggestion 2*** – Backup data recovery is a very expensive and costly procedure. If this can be avoided at all costs, please try to ensure it is prevented. It will be a cost that will set the lab back far more than it needs to be.
Quite simply, an invaluable tool used for scheduling people to meet with you at a desired location. This is free and has all the capabilities to do basic scheduling for interview candidates (can also be used for scheduling training sessions while also determining other mutually good times to meet). Click “Schedule an Event” to bring to you the next page below.
Fill in the appropriate details of the interview (or meeting) and ensure you use a valid e-mail address (the e-mail I used is just an example; not a valid one). Click “Submit” when completed.
Next, select the days that are appropriate for carrying out the interviews (or potentially the meeting) using the calendar provided. These will be provided for the next stage: choosing times.
Type the appropriate meeting start times in the boxes provided. You could also paste further slots and copy and paste slots from the first row. Ensure that you space time out appropriately (and provide time for breaks and delays between each interview or meeting).
This is important – this protects the privacy of the candidates. All three of these options (except the first) must be selected so there is only one participant per option and they can only sign up for one time. If this is a meeting or another type of session where privacy isn’t necessary, simply change the options. Once you click “Next” and everything is finalized, you will send a link to the candidates outlining what they should bring and what the doodle involves; ensure that each candidates e-mail is “Blind Carbon Copied” or “BCC’d” to again protect privacy.
Make sure they provide you with time to prepare yourself for an interview; request that they sign up no later than a specific time on a specific day, or that they provide you with 24 hours notice. The more structured these are, the more the candidates will realize these are competitive.
Interviewing potential research assistants must be completed carefully, given there are many things that can compromise the integrity of an interview. These can be anything from the following list:
Knowing the candidate ahead of time;
Biasing an interview based on strong GPAs;
Failing to exert equity when handling the interview (e.g., everyone that makes it to the interview phase should have the opportunity to present themselves appropriately);
Potential candidates memorizing key questions and answers that seemed to be received more positively (e.g., asking them what topics they are interested in psychology, and they repetitively say “social psychology” knowing full well the question will be asked and that this is a lab based in the foundations of social psychology – yet there’s obviously more to the lab as well).
When handling the interview, the applicant should be invited to potential slots based on a confidential poll that lists the availability of the interviewer and allows some time for the interviewee to indicate availability (preferably, at least 48 hours – some jobs provide much less with a phone call). See “Doodle” Sub-Wiki added to this topic.
The main thing interviewees should concentrate on is whether the student has appropriate interpersonal skills. This is not something that can be developed during the course of the time in the lab; rather it should be possessed before being invited into the lab. The SPQRL lab is a very collaborative, interpersonal, and sociable lab. It needs positive people to handle participants that may be experiencing mixed feelings while completing experiments (as well as the potentially awkward peripheral psychophysiology hookups). Therefore, these researchers need to be good on their feet and be able to strike up conversations.
The candidates should also be able to talk freely about their research interests: what they hope to gain out of their psychology degree, what they hope to uncover while being in a research psychology lab setting, what they hope to offer in the lab, what they hope to learn while being in the lab. They should also be freely able to discuss any lingering interests they may have about research they have read or learned about thus far and how it might apply to Professor Page-Gould’s lab. This is a key point and will separate the standouts from the average candidates.
Lastly, the candidate should just come off as a good person to be around. They should not come off as someone that will need to be maintained, monitored, or groomed for the position. Learning the technical aspects of the lab are demanding, but as long as the candidate presents a humble demeanour, they will be open to suggestions.
A secondary thought to consider is that although upward trajectory is a good way to judge those that are trying to compensate for earlier mistakes in their first year of studies, anyone that has a continuing downward trend in their academic success might not be best suited for a research psychology lab setting when they need to focus on improving GPA. This can lead to anything from leaving the lab early, to not being sure how to apply their skills past undergrad. These people should be handled on a case-by-case basis and should be handled very delicately.
Working for the SPRQL should not be taken lightly and should be an opportunity presented to the most conscientious, committed, and eager students that apply. All students are allowed to apply to this lab, which is a right for any student looking to be involved in research psychology. The unfortunate downside of this is that not all will be admitted to the lab, simply due to the commitment involved and for the type of personnel that the lab needs to maintain.
Inviting the appropriate candidates to the interview stage is key, which is why a sound screening phase should be taken seriously. Through taking the time to screen applicants on their responses to questions as well as their self-report to GPA will help save time towards the interview phase.
Candidates aiming to apply to the lab should be initially screened using Liz’s criteria that will be outlined ahead of time; this could be questionnaires, self-reports for major and GPA, and research interests.
These candidates should then be organized into a “ranked” format, that will allow for quick screening, especially during higher-than-normal volumes of applications being processed.
Generally, the younger students going into their second or third year of undergraduate studies are ideal, because they have more time to be accustomed to lab procedures, will be more receptive to criticism, and can be moulded by the methods in the lab.
A few more things to look out for in potentially good candidates are: keen interest and knowledge in Professor Page-Gould’s research papers released recently, upward trajectory in GPA (especially in second year, if things “did not come up roses” in their first year), and a humble attitude towards researching with humans.
Students that are invited to the interview phase should be adaptive to the schedule of the screener; not necessarily the other way around. When there is a high volume of applicants, the interviewer should provide roughly 2-3 days where applicants can sign up for interviews (see “interviewing”).
