SDS-Tepper Research Participation Program
INTRODUCTION
Many of the theories you examine in class are based on empirical studies of human behavior.
Such research is conducted all the time here at Carnegie Mellon. The Research Participation
Program gives you a chance to be part of that process. It also greatly helps graduate students
and faculty conduct research they would not otherwise have the resources for.
INSTRUCTIONS
1.
SIGN UP FOR YOUR RPP EXPERIMENTS
Experiments will start becoming available at the beginning of the third week of classes
and will end two days before the end of the semester on the website http://sdstepper.sona-systems.com
You will receive an email with your log-in information once your name has been entered
into the system. Complete instructions for use of the site are posted on
http://cbdr.cmu.edu/r_rpp.html. Please read this document carefully because it
explains how to use the sign-up site, as well as policies on cancellations, lateness,
credits and penalties.
You will only be able to see the experiments for which you are eligible. If all timeslots
are filled, please look back on a later date for more postings.
You have approximately 12 weeks to complete the number of studies you are pledged to
participate in, but please do not leave this until the last week. There will probably not
be enough hours available for you to complete your credits if you wait until the end of
the semester.
2.
ATTEND YOUR SCHEDULED EXPERIMENT
Most studies take place in the Tepper or SDS labs. The Tepper Lab is located on 300
South Craig Street. The SDS labs are located next to H&SS Academic Advising, in the
basement of Baker Hall’s new wing, room number A55C Baker Hall. Please arrive on
time for each study. If you arrive more than 5 minutes past the posted start time, you
may not be able to participate in that session and will be penalized by the addition of
one (1) hour to your participation requirement. Keep in mind, there will be only a
limited number of studies run this semester, so it may be difficult to fulfill the
requirement if it becomes larger.
If you need to cancel a session, you should cancel on-line, or e-mail the researcher at
least by 8 PM on the day before the session. You should provide the following: your
name, the time of the experiment, and the experiment number. Failure to cancel by 8
PM on the day before the experiment will result in a penalty of 1additional hour. Make
sure to email the experimenter directly and not just hit ‘reply’ to your reminder email.
3.
OBTAIN CREDIT FOR EXPERIMENT
Each experimenter will keep track of your attendance and change your credit status online once you have completed the experiment. Check your status on the website and it
will be updated within 48 hours.
If you have any questions about how many credits you have earned, or need to earn,
contact the CBDR Lab manager at cbdr-lab@andrew.cmu.edu.
STUDENT USER GUIDE FOR WEB-BASED EXPERIMENT SIGNUP
1. Logging In

Access the website: http://sds-tepper.sona-systems.com.

Login by typing your Andrew ID and your Password. Then click on Log In. This
brings you to the Main Menu.

This is where you sign up for experiments. Please log in.

The first time you log in to the site, you will be required to complete a pre-test before
you are able to view the experiments. You will only have to do this the first time you
log in.
2. Main Menu

The Main Menu has three options: Experiment Sign-Up, My Schedule & Credits, and
My Profile. The main menu bar stays active throughout your session at the top of your
screen.
3. Experiment Sign-Up

Click on Experiment Sign-Up from the Main Menu to view a list of experiments and
sign up for those that interest you.

To sign up for an experiment, click on the title of the experiment.



You will see a brief description of the experiment. Scroll to the bottom of the
page to ‘View Time Slots for This Experiment.’ If an experiment has time slots
available, hit the SIGN UP button to be automatically signed up for a particular
time slot.
Next, a confirmation screen appears, giving information about the date, time,
and location of your experiment.
Print out the time slot information for your records:

Click on File at the top left of the screen.

Click on Print.

Click on All in the Print Range box.

Click on OK. (If you are on an NT machine you should get a dialogue box telling you
where the document is actually being printed.)

To cancel, go back to the Main Menu and choose My Schedule & Credits.
4. My Schedule & Credits:

View or cancel your experiment appointments.

View experiments you have participated in, and see if credit has been given.

View other credits you have earned.

Click on My Schedule & Credits on the Main Menu to cancel an experiment.

Locate the experiment you wish to cancel and choose Cancel. (Note: this button
appears on the far right — you may need to scroll over.)

A screen will appear, questioning your decision. (Note: You have the option of not
canceling at this time.) Choose “Yes, I want to cancel” at the bottom of the screen.
NOTE:
You have until 8 PM on the day before the experiment to cancel your signup. Canceling after that point is considered the same as failing to show up.
5. My Profile

Modify contact information.

Provide an alternate email address.

You may change your current password. To change it, type the new password in the
first space provided, hit return, than type it a second time and hit tab. Be sure to click
Update.

You may enter your phone number in the space provided.

This screen displays how many credits are required, and how many you have earned,
course #, and whether or not you’ve completed the pretest.

Click Update.
A confirmation message will appear to let you know that your
information has been updated
6. Logging Out
You can log out at any time from any screen by clicking on Log Out. A screen will appear,
confirming that you have logged out. Please quit your web browser after logging out.
Important Additional Notes:
You can move to any screen/menu by clicking on the choices on the top of the active
screen.
You can go back a page by clicking on the “Back” button at the top left of the screen.
If you have any questions, especially if you notice that you have not been given credit for an
experiment, email the CBDR Lab Manager at cbdr-lab@andrew.cmu.edu.
Your Rights and Responsibilities
1. Pay strict attention to the restrictions listed for your experiment, as they will be
enforced. For example, some experiments may ask for only females/only males, only
those with 20/20 vision, only those taking certain courses, etc.
2. You must cancel an experiment by sending an email to the researcher by 8 PM on the
day before the experiment without penalty.
3. If you arrive more than 5 minutes late or do not show up at all for an experiment, you
will be required to complete one additional hour of experimentation as a penalty.
4. If an experimenter needs to cancel a session, they must email you 20 hours in advance
of the session to notify you. If they cancel less than 20 hours in advance, you will
receive credit.
5. If you arrive on time for an experiment and the experimenter cannot be located within 5
minutes, then you MUST, within 24 hours, email the CBDR Lab Manager (cbdrlab@andrew.cmu.edu) and provide the name of the experiment, the date, and the
timeslot. The lab manager will see that you receive credit.
6. With a valid reason, you may refuse to continue your participation in an experiment at
any time during an experiment without penalty. You will still receive credit for
participation.
7. You will be given credit by the experimenter within 48 hours of participating in the
experiment.
8. All experiments must be two days before the end of the semester.