Sona Participation and Research Experience Marks

Participation in SONA Experiments

You will be able to earn percentage points towards your final grade by participating in Cognitive Psychology and Behavioural Neuroscience studies conducted by students and faculty in the Department of Psychology.  Please read the following guidelines for participation in psychology research for more details. Participation in the SONA experiments is worth 4% of your final grade.

Information and Guidelines 

Experiential learning is considered an integral part of the undergraduate program in Psychology. Research participation is one example of this, article review is another. A number of undergraduate courses have been expanded to include opportunities for Psychology students to earn grades while gaining research experience.

Since experiential learning is highly valued in the Department of Psychology, students may earn up to 4% of their final mark in this course through research experience (i.e., course work will make up 96% of the final mark and research experience will make up the other 4% for a maximum grade of 100%). Be sure to review the guidelines referred to later in this document.

The two options for earning research experience grades; participation in research through online and remotely operated (replacing in-lab) studies, and article review; are described below. Students may complete any combination of these options to earn research experience grades.

Option 1: Participation in Psychology Research 

Research participation is coordinated by the Research Experiences Group (REG). Psychology students may volunteer as research participants in remotely operated (replaces in-lab) and/or online (web-based) studies conducted by students and faculty in the Department of Psychology. Participation enables students to learn first-hand about psychology research and related concepts. Many students report that participation in research is both an educational and interesting experience. Please be assured that all Psychology studies have been reviewed and received ethics clearance through a University of Waterloo Research Ethics Committee. 

How to earn extra marks for your Psychology course(s) this term by participating in studies:

  • You will earn "credits" which will be converted to "marks" (1 credit = 1%)
  • You can schedule your remotely operated (replacing in-lab) and ONLINE studies using the "Sona" website.
  • FOR THE WINTER 2021 TERM, ALL OF YOUR CREDITS can be earned through ONLINE AND REMOTELY/ ONLINE OPERATED (replacing in-lab) studies. 

Educational Focus of Participation in Research 

To maximize the educational benefits of participating in research, students will receive feedback information following their participation in each study detailing the following elements:

  • Purpose or objectives of the study
  • Dependent and independent variables
  • Expected results
  • References for at least two related research articles
  • Provisions to ensure confidentiality of data
  • Contact information of the researcher should the student have further questions about the study
  • Contact information for the Director of the Office of Research Ethics should the student wish to learn more about the general ethical issues surrounding research with human participants, or specific questions or concerns about the study in which s/he participated.

Participation in remotely operated (replaces in-lab) studies has increment values of 0.5 participation credits (grade percentage points) for each 30-minutes of participation. Participation in ONLINE studies is worth .25 credits for each 15-minutes of participation.  Researchers will record student’s participation and at the end of the term the REG Coordinator will provide the course instructor with a credit report of the total credits earned by each student. 

How to Participate

Study scheduling, participation and grade assignment is managed using the SONA online system.  All students enrolled in this course have been set up with a SONA account. You must get started early in the term.

For instructions on how to log in to your SONA account and for a list of important dates and deadlines please, as soon as possible, go to SONA Information. Note: Please do not ask the Course Instructor or REG Coordinator for information unless you have first thoroughly read the information provided on this website. 

More information about the REG program in general is available at REG information website or you can check the Sona Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) on the REG website homepage for additional information.  

Option 2: Article Review as an Alternative to Participation in Research 

Students are not required to participate in research, and not all students wish to do so. As an alternative, students may opt to gain research experience by writing short reviews (1½ to 2 pages) of research articles relevant to the course. The course instructor will specify a suitable source of articles for this course (i.e., scientific journals, newspapers, magazines, other printed media). You must contact your TA to get approval for the article you have chosen before writing the review. Each review article counts as one percentage point. To receive credit, you must follow specific guidelines. The article review must: 

  • Be submitted before the last day of lectures (see Important Dates from the Registrar's office). Late submissions will NOT be accepted under ANY circumstances.
  • Be typed
  • Fully identify the title, author(s), source, and date of the article. A copy of the article must be attached.
  • Identify the psychological concepts in the article and indicate the pages in the textbook that are applicable. Critically evaluate the application or treatment of those concepts in the article. If inappropriate or incorrect, identify the error and its implications for the validity of the article. You may find, for example, misleading headings, faulty research procedures, alternative explanations that are ignored, failures to distinguish factual findings from opinions, faulty statements of cause-effect relations, errors in reasoning, etc. Provide examples whenever possible.
  • Clearly evaluate the application or treatment of those concepts in the article.
  • Keep a copy of your review in the unlikely event we misplace the original.