VOLUNTEERS

We always require volunteers to participate in our research studies. This page tells you about the kinds of studies we do, and the tasks you would have to perform, if you become a volunteer.

Q: What are we investigating?

A: We study how people perceive the objects and events in the world around them. We are particularly interested in issues related to how stimulation in one sense can affect responses and decisions made about information in another sense. For example, we may present both lights and sounds and ask you to tell us: 'Which came first?' Or we might ask you to respond only to the visual information, and to ignore anything you may hear or feel. We are interested in the perception of visual, auditory, tactile, and even gustatory (taste) and olfactory (smell) stimuli and in interactions between all of the combinations of these senses.

Q: How long do the studies take?

A: Some studies last for just 15-20 minutes, while others take up to an hour or more. This depends on how many responses we need from each participant, and how many different conditions there are in the study (and how fast you are!!). All our participants are reimbursed for their time and travel expenses (typically by means of gift vouchers for a local store). You will also be thoroughly debriefed at the end of the experiment, so you can find out about what was going on in the experiment, and exactly what we were trying to study.

Q: Who can participate?

A: Generally, we are looking for people aged 18-35, with good vision (or who wear correcting lenses), and with no neurological or other sensory impairments (hearing impairment, epilepsy or brain damage for example).

Q: How do I volunteer?

A: The best way to keep informed about our new studies is to sign up to our mailing list. E-mail Carlos Velasco to join the mailing list. Alternatively, look out for posters around the Experimental Psychology Department, or contact one of our lab members directly.

We look forward to hearing from you...