Difficulty: Introductory | Prerequisites: None (read this before your first week of classes)
Students in NYU Cognition, Personality and Social Psychology courses must complete a research requirement: either participate in 2 credit hours of research studies through the Sona system or write a two-page article critique. Both options are evaluated pass/fail. If neither is done by semester's end, you receive an Incomplete that converts to an F if not resolved within one semester.
Research requirement
A mandatory component of Cognition, Personality and Social Psychology courses at NYU. Students must either participate in research studies or complete a written critique. In simple terms, this is the "extra" thing you have to do on top of your coursework to receive a grade.
Credit hour (study credit)
The unit used to measure research participation. One credit hour equals roughly 31 to 60 minutes of study participation. You need 2 credit hours total. Think of it as: each half-hour block of participation earns you 0.5 credits, and you are aiming for 2.0.
Sona Systems
The online platform (nyu-psych.sona-systems.com) where you sign up for studies, track your earned credits, and manage appointments. In simple terms, this is your one-stop shop for everything research participation.
IRB / UCAIHS
The Institutional Review Board, known at NYU as the University Committee on Activities Involving Human Subjects. This body reviews and approves all research studies to protect participant rights and welfare. Think of it as the oversight committee that makes sure researchers treat you fairly.
Debriefing form
A document you receive at the end of each study explaining the study's purpose and key details. It doubles as your receipt and proof of participation. Keep every one you receive.
Informed consent
A form you sign (or agree to online) before participating in any study. It outlines what the study involves, any risks, and your right to withdraw at any time. In simple terms, it is the agreement that confirms you know what you are getting into and that you are participating voluntarily.
Screening questionnaire (Psychology Sona Screening)
A short optional survey you complete when you first log into Sona. It collects general information (such as handedness) to match you with studies that have specific eligibility criteria. Declining it does not lock you out of studies, only those with particular eligibility filters.
All students registered for Cognition, Personality or Social Psychology courses at NYU must complete a research requirement. The purpose is to give you firsthand experience with empirical research methods, since many studies in these fields rely on undergraduate participants.
The requirement is evaluated pass/fail. It does not affect your letter grade directly, but failing to complete it means you do not receive a grade at all.
Path 1: Research participation (2 credit hours)
Sign up for studies through the NYU Sona Systems site
Participate in a combination of in-person lab studies and online surveys totalling at least 2 credit hours over the semester
Studies are conducted by NYU Psychology faculty and doctoral students and are approved by the IRB (UCAIHS)
Path 2: Written critique
Find one significant psychology article published in the last 5 years that reports new experimental or survey data
Get the article approved by your course instructor before proceeding
Write a two-page critique covering: the study's significance, validity of instruments and data collection methods, method of analysis, conclusions, and directions for future research
Email the finished critique to your Head TA by the deadline your professor sets
If you are uncomfortable participating in experiments, speak to your professor at the start of the semester about the written assignment option.
Credits are granted in half-hour increments:
Experiment Duration | Credit Earned |
|---|---|
15 to 30 minutes | 0.5 |
31 to 60 minutes | 1.0 |
61 to 90 minutes | 1.5 |
91 to 120 minutes | 2.0 |
Studies listed on Sona are capped at 2 credit hours. If a study runs longer than 2 hours, you receive 2 credits plus monetary compensation for the additional time.
In-person lab studies typically last 30 to 60 minutes. You go to a designated room (usually in the Meyer building, 6 Washington Place) and complete tasks such as viewing images, responding to stimuli, or filling out surveys.
Online survey studies involve completing a questionnaire remotely. They usually take 15 to 60 minutes. You access the survey link through the study's information page in Sona after signing up.
Some studies require multiple sessions or surveys at different times. Participating in a mix of both types gives you a broader perspective on psychology research methods.
At the end of every study, you should receive a debriefing form explaining the study's purpose. This form is your proof of participation. For lab studies, you sign and date it in person and keep a copy. For online studies, the debriefing is emailed or appears at the end of the survey (screenshot it).
If a researcher does not provide a debriefing form, follow up until you receive one. If there is no response within 1 to 2 business days, contact the Psychology Research Subjects Administrator.
As a research participant, you have the right to:
Know why the research is being conducted and what you will be asked to do
Know any risks and benefits associated with the study
Know how your personal information will be kept confidential
Ask questions at any time
Refuse to participate or withdraw at any time without penalty
Be treated respectfully and professionally
Receive a copy of the consent form and know whom to contact with concerns
Participation is always voluntary. Even after signing up and providing informed consent, you may withdraw at any point.
Students often assume that participating in paid studies through the NYU Psychology Department's Paid Sona website counts toward the research requirement. It does not. Only studies on nyu-psych.sona-systems.com count.
Some students believe they can complete the requirement entirely at the end of the semester. In practice, studies become scarce as the semester winds down. A good pace is roughly one study per week.
Students sometimes think that signing up for a study is enough. You must also assign the earned credit to the correct course in Sona, or it will not count toward your requirement for that course.
Missing an online study's participation deadline feels less serious than missing a lab appointment, but the system treats both identically: you receive an unexcused no-show.
⚠️ Both the research participation and the written critique are pass/fail. They do not raise or lower your letter grade, but you cannot receive any grade without completing one of them.
⚠️ If the requirement is not done by the last day of classes, you receive a temporary Incomplete ("I"). You then have until the end of the following semester to make it up. If you do not, the Incomplete converts to an F on your transcript.
⚠️ After 2 unexcused no-shows, your Sona account is disabled. You must either complete the written assignment or petition the Psychology Research Subjects Administrator for a third chance.
⚠️ Extra credit through additional studies is at your professor's discretion. Check the syllabus on the first day of class. Extra credits earned without a professor's offer will not carry forward to future courses.
⚠️ Credits from a previous semester are archived when Sona resets. If you have an Incomplete to make up, note how many credits you still need before the system resets.
True or false: You need 3 credit hours of research participation to fulfil the requirement. (False. You need 2 credit hours.)
True or false: Participating in a paid study on the NYU Psychology Department's Paid Sona site counts toward the requirement. (False. Only studies on nyu-psych.sona-systems.com count.)
Fill in the blank: A study lasting 45 minutes earns you ______ credit(s). (1 credit.)
True or false: If you withdraw from a study after signing the informed consent form, you will be penalised. (False. Participation is voluntary, and you may withdraw at any time without penalty.)
Fill in the blank: After ______ unexcused no-shows, your Sona account is disabled. (2.)
Q: What are the two ways a student can fulfil the research requirement?
A: By participating in 2 credit hours of research studies through the NYU Sona system, or by writing a two-page critique of a recent psychology article approved by the course instructor.
Q: A student participates in a 90-minute lab study and a 30-minute online survey. Have they completed the requirement?
A: Yes. The lab study earns 1.5 credits and the survey earns 0.5 credits, totalling the required 2.0 credit hours.
Q: What happens if a student does not complete either the research participation or the written critique by the last day of classes?
A: The student receives a temporary Incomplete grade. They have until the end of the following semester to finish the requirement. If they do not, the Incomplete becomes an F.
Q: A student signs up for an online survey study but does not complete it before the participation deadline. What consequence do they face?
A: They are marked as an unexcused no-show in Sona, the same penalty as missing an in-person lab appointment.
Q: What is the purpose of the debriefing form, and why should students keep it?
A: The debriefing form explains the study's purpose and serves as proof that the student participated. If there is ever a dispute about whether credit should be granted, the debriefing form is the student's evidence.
Q: Describe two rights you have as a research participant.
A: Any two of: the right to know why the research is being conducted, what you will be asked to do, the risks and benefits, how your information is kept confidential, the right to ask questions, the right to withdraw at any time without penalty, and the right to be treated respectfully.
The research requirement connects directly to research methods and ethics in psychology. Understanding informed consent, IRB oversight, and debriefing procedures gives you a practical grounding in concepts covered in Research Methods courses. The distinction between lab studies and online surveys mirrors the broader methodological debate between controlled experiments and survey-based research, which appears throughout Social Psychology and Personality courses.
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