Participate in research
Here you can read about how you participate in experiments
Your benefits as a participant
You are paid for your participation
All participants recruited through our recruitment system (Sona) are compensated for their time spent on participating in studies and experiments. We recommend to our researchers that they pay around 110 DKK per hour. You can either be paid by bank transfer, gift voucher, lottery or another form of payment. Note that in some studies the amount you receive can depend on how you solve your task in the experiment.
Read more about payment
If participants are recruited outside our recruitment system, it is up to the researcher(s) to decide how participants are compensated.
It's exciting and you never know what happens
The experiments vary greatly, and each offers a unique experience. The studies are on human behaviour and cognition, and as a participant you often perform tasks in front of a computer such as problem solving, questionnaires, decision making and so forth. Some studies use various forms of technology such as eye tracking or virtual reality. You can find a general description of each study at our participation website and choose the ones that interest you.
Sign up in the participation system here
You help researchers at Aarhus University
All researchers at Aarhus University have access to conduct studies at COBE Lab. Each study needs a sufficient number of participants to get results that are as valid as possible. That is why your participation makes a difference for the researchers.
Read more about their research here
Participant requirements
All persons over 18 years of age
All members of the public aged 18 or above have the opportunity to participate in studies. You do not need to be a student.
You need a danish CPR-number
Most studies require you to have a Danish CPR-number. The payment to your bank account or a gift voucher requires a CPR-number as audit documentation.
EasyAccount (NemKonto) recommended
Most studies are paid via bank transfer by Aarhus University's salary system, for which you need a CPR-number and an EasyAccount (NemKonto).
How do I participate in experiments?
All you have to do is create an account in our online participation system. Subsequently, you can browse and sign up for studies that interest you. Here is a step-by-step guide of what to do:
- To sign up as a participant, simply click 'Sign up here'.
- You will then be taken to our research participation system. Click 'Request Account' and follow the instructions. You will receive an email with login information.
- Once you have created an account and logged in, you will be presented with your rights as a participant of COBE Lab. Please read these carefully and click "Yes" once you have read and agreed to our terms.
- If you accepted the terms, you will be presented with a short three-minute survey. Questions are mainly demographic (e.g., age, gender, language skills). You only complete the survey the first time you log in.
- You will then be able to see the available studies. Find more information about a specific study by clicking on the name of the study.
- Browse and sign up for studies. Each study will provide a brief description, location information, details of the reward and contact information of the lead researcher, in case you have any questions or concerns. Most of our studies take place at the lab, but we also run online studies and experiments in other locations around Aarhus, and beyond.
- Download the participant system app for iOS and Android devices in order to browse and sign up for studies from your smartphone or tablet.
Remember your SONA ID
When you arrive for the experiment you will be asked for your SONA ID. Researchers at COBE Lab do not know you by name or your email address, but only by your SONA ID (ID Code). It is therefore important that you remember your SONA ID or have it written down somewhere, where you can quickly find it.
Your ID Code is generated by the Cognition and Behavior Lab Participation System automatically, and not by you. You can not change your ID Code.
Find your SONA ID
When you sign up for a study you will receive an email confirmation. Your SONA ID can also be found in this email confirmation.
Or you can find it in your account information:
1. Log in to the participant system with your User ID (not your SONA ID) and password
2. Click My Profile in the upper right corner
3. You will see a four or five digit number corresponding to Identity Code. Underneath this number it is stated "Researchers will see only this code, and never your name". This is your SONA ID.
Cancel if you are prevented from attending
ALWAYS remember to cancel, if you are not able to show up for an experiment you signed up for. You can easily cancel your sign-up at the participation website or in the app. If it is too late to cancel, you can send an email to the researchers of the study. Their contact information is found under the description of the study, where you signed up. In emergency cases you can also write to cobelab@au.dk
Too many unexcused no-shows deactivates your account
If you do not cancel and do not show up for a session you will be marked as an unexcused no-show. If you get more than 1 unexcused no-show your account will be deactivated. Researchers spend a lot of resources and time planning the sessions and your absence can lead to a cancellation of the session. In case of illness please inform the researchers. If you cancel you will be marked as an excused no-show and have the possibility to participate in the study another time.
