Department of Psychology

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I find the location of my research study?

Almost all psychology research studies will be conducted at various locations within University Hall (e.g., the 1st, 5th, and 6th floors). Here is a layout of the 5th floor. Please keep in mind:

  • You can access the 6th floor using the elevator in the main hallway (parallel to Bancroft), or via stairways on the south side of the main hallway (facing the courtyard).
  • If you are unsure of the precise location of the study, please contact the experimenter for that study!
  • It is your responsibility to show up on time for research appointments. If necessary, allow yourself extra time to locate the research location.

How do I cancel an experiment?

If you need to cancel a time slot you have signed up for, you can do this from the My Schedule and Credits page. Choose the My Schedule/Credits option from top toolbar. You will see listed all the experiments you have signed up for, as well as those you have completed (see the Tracking Your Progress section of this documentation for more information). Experiments you have signed up for that you are allowed to cancel will have a Cancel button next to them. There is a time limit before the experiment is to occur, when it is too late to cancel (2 hours before). Once you click Cancel to cancel your sign-up, you will see a confirmation page. You will also be warned if your cancellation might affect your ability to participate in other experiments you have signed up for, due to pre-requisite restrictions. If the cancellation will affect your ability to participate in another experiment you are signed up for, it is your responsibility to deal with this issue (usually by canceling the depending experiment as well). The system will warn you, but will not block the cancellation. Click Yes to cancel your sign-up, and the sign-up will be cancelled.

How do I change my password?

If you would like to change your password or other information about yourself, choose My Profile from the top toolbar. If you would like to change your password, type your new password (twice, for confirmation) in the provided boxes. If you would not like to change your password, simply leave these boxes empty.

How do I change the email address where email notifications from the system are sent?

We strongly urge that all students maintain their official University of Toledo e-mail address for all research-related communication. Private e-mail services (e.g., Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.) often incorrectly filter out important research e-mails as spam. As a result, students may miss important messages about research studies or their account status.

I am under 18 years of age. Can I still participate in Psychology studies?

Yes, you certainly can participate in psychology studies. However, students under 18 years of age are considered legal minors by the state of Ohio and must receive permission from their parent/legal guardian before participating in research.

You may download the form, print it and get your parent/legal guardian to read it and sign it. Once this is done, email the Sona system coordinators at psychresearch@utoledo.edu to schedule an appointment to submit the form. A photocopy of the original signed form will be given to you with some more instructions. You should also get a parental consent form for the "Psychology Research Prescreen Assessment" study.

How do I request an account?

If you do not have an account set up for you already, click on the "request a new account" link on the front page. In doing this, you will be required to provide some very basic information. After you complete the form, the administrator will later approve your account, and you will be notified when your account has been activated. The email notification will include login instructions for the system. You will be assigned a default password, which you can change after your first login.

How do I sign up for an experiment?

To sign up to participate in an experiment, find the experiment you would like to participate in (see Viewing Experiments in this documentation). Click on the experiment name for more information. You will see a list of any special restrictions or eligibility requirements, as well as a contact person if you have questions about the experiment. Some restrictions are automatically enforced by the system. If the experiment has certain pre-requisites or disqualifiers (experiments you must not have participated in to participate in this experiment), those will be listed, as well as a note about whether you meet those eligibility requirements. The experiment may have other restrictions listed as Subject Restrictions. An example of a Subject Restriction is 'Left-handed people only.' If listed, then the system does not enforce this restriction, but you should only sign up for the experiment if you meet this restriction. If you sign up for the experiment and you do not meet the restrictions, you will likely not receive credit for the experiment, and could face a penalty. You may only sign up for a time slot up until a certain time before that time slot is scheduled to occur. The system will not show a Sign Up button for time slots where it is too late to sign up. Once you have determined you meet all the requirements, click on View Time slots for This Experiment and you will see a list of available time slots. Choose a time slot that is convenient for you, and click Sign Up. After you click Sign Up, you will see information displayed confirming the time and location of the experiment you plan to participate in. You may receive an email confirmation as well. You are now signed up for the experiment.

How long can I stay in the system during one sitting?

Your login (also known as a session) will expire after a certain period of inactivity, usually 20-60 minutes. This is done for security purposes. If this happens, you can always log in again. When you are done using the system, it is better to explicitly log out, to prevent any problems that may arise if someone uses your computer before the session expires. This is especially important if you are using a public computer lab.

I attempted to sign up for an experiment, and I was prevented from doing so because the experiment I was trying to sign up for is a disqualifier for another experiment I am scheduled to participate in. Why is this?

If you have signed up for an experiment that has disqualifiers (experiments you must not have participated in to participate in that experiment), you may not then sign up for the experiments that are listed as the disqualifier experiments. You are allowed to sign up for the disqualifier experiments if the disqualifier experiment will take place after the experiment with disqualifiers, or if you have already participated in (and received credit for) the experiment with disqualifiers. The easiest way to sign up for both experiments is to schedule the disqualifier experiment at a time later than the experiment with disqualifiers.

I participated in an experiment, but I have yet to receive credit. How do I receive credit?

The experimenter must grant you credit. This is usually done shortly after your participation. If it has been some time (e.g., one week) and you have still not received credit, contact the experimenter for that study.

What do I do if I lost my password?

If you have forgotten or do not have your password, then you may choose to have your password emailed to you. You will see an option on the front login page if this feature is enabled. Your password will be emailed after you submit the form, and should arrive in your email box momentarily. If you provided an alternate email address (see the Email Address Options section of this documentation), it will be sent there. Otherwise, it will be sent to your main email address, which is derived from your user ID.

Which web browser should I use?

The system works best if you use a web browser that is less than 2 years old. It works well with Internet Explorer version 4 and above, and Netscape version 4 and above. It will work with other web browsers, and with older version of Internet Explorer and Netscape, however the layout may not be as clean. No functionality will be lost by using an older web browser. This documentation assumes you have a basic knowledge of how to use the web. On this system, it is not necessary to use the Back button. You can always use the toolbar on the top of every screen to navigate anywhere on the site.

Who can see the information about my sign-ups? I don’t want everyone to know which experiments I signed up for.

Only the experimenter and principal investigator of the experiment may see that you have signed up for it, along with the subject pool administrator. No other users, including other experimenters or other participants, may see this information.

Last Updated: 1/19/23