Adults
Thank you for thinking about taking part in our research.
Before you decide whether or not you want to take part in one of our research studies, it is important for you to know why the research is being done and what it will involve.
We know that people usually have lots of questions about taking part in research studies. Below are the answers to common questions regarding our research studies.
Please email L.Levita@sussex.ac.uk if you’d like some more information or if you’ve got any more questions.
Frequently asked questions
What are we interested in?
We are interested in how emotions and behaviours change across childhood, adolescence and adulthood.
Am I able to take part?
If you are aged 18 years or older with normal hearing and normal, or corrected-to-normal, vision you are probably able to take part in our research studies.
What will I be asked to do?
Each research study is different, but we will ask you to do one or more of the following:
Answer some questions about your thoughts, feelings, family and friends.
Look at different pictures or words on a computer screen, and press buttons to make decisions about them.
Have your heart rate and skin conductance responses (how much you sweat) measured using small electrodes placed on your fingers.
Have the electrical activity of your brain measured using electroencephalography (EEG). You can read about EEG studies.
Have your brain scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). You can read about fMRI studies.
What are EEG and fMRI studies?
You can find out more about EEG and fMRI studies on our brain imaging page.
What are the benefits of taking part in one of your studies?
You will be paid for taking part in one of our studies. If you are studying Psychology at the University of Sheffield, you may be able to collect course credit.
What will the information you collect be used for?
All information collected from our studies is kept confidential. We make sure the information is kept confidential by using identification numbers in place of your name. This ensures that your name will not be associated with, or traceable to, any of the collected data. The results from our studies may be presented anonymously at scientific conferences or written up in scientific journals.
What if I don’t want to complete the study?
You can decide to stop the study anytime you wish, without penalty and without giving us a reason.
Where do your research studies take place?
All our research studies take place at the Department of Psychology, at the University of Sheffield. The address and directions to the department can be found on the contact page.
How long do your research studies take?
Since all of our research studies are different, they take different amounts of time. Studies not involving EEG or fMRI usually last between 30 minutes to an hour. EEG and fMRI studies will last between 2 and 3 hours.
How do I get involved?
If you are interested in taking part in one of our research studies, please send us an email: l.levita@sheffield.ac.uk.
I’ve still got some questions.
If you have any more questions or would like some more information, do not hesitate to contact us.