Participate in a Study

The Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences uses the Sona Psychology Research Portal to recruit and manage the participation of the human research subjects that are critical to our research.

In the Fall and Spring semesters, students can participate in research to earn extra credit in participating psychology courses. The Sona Psychology Research Portal is closed to all activity during Summer & Intersession.

To create a new participant account in the Sona Psychology Research Portal:

  1. Go to https://jhu.sona-systems.com/student_new_user.aspx.
  2. Request a User Account by completing the fields for name, valid jhu.edu email address, and JCard number.
  3. A password will be emailed to you and, upon accessing the system, you may begin signing up for applicable studies.

In addition to the research conducted through the Sona Psychology Research Portal, you may find additional studies for financial compensation below.

Participate in a Study for Pay

  • Laboratory on Working Memory & Cognition is seeking healthy individuals ages 18 to 85 years old to participate in research studies on cognitive control. Studies involve performing computer-based cognitive tasks, and some involve measuring brain activity with EEG or fMRI. For more information and to sign up to receive emails about participation opportunities, contact the lab at courtneylab@jhu.edu.
  • The Neuroplasticity and Development Laboratory is seeking participants for psychology research studies. The studies last between one and three hours, and participants are paid between $10 and $20 per hour. To be eligible for the research, you must be between the ages of 18 and 65, have normal or corrected-to-normal vision, and have no neurological or cognitive disabilities. If you are interested in participating, please email plasticity_lab@jhu.edu to see if you qualify. In your response, please include your name, age, first language, and highest level of education.
  • Attention & Perception Lab is recruiting healthy individuals who are at least 18 years old and have normal or corrected-to-normal vision, and normal color vision, to participate in an attention study on the Homewood campus. The study involves behavioral tests of attention, memory, and visual search through computerized tasks. The study typically lasts around one hour. Participants earn $10 per hour. If you are interested in volunteering for our experiments, please email the Attention and Perception Lab at attentionlab@jhu.edu for more information.
  • The Johns Hopkins Laboratory for Child Development investigates how infants and children perceive and reason about the world around them. We explore such topics as how infants and children remember hidden objects, learn new words, and think about number and mathematics. Our studies involve playing simple games that parents and children usually think are lots of fun! We are currently conducting these studies with infants and children between the ages of 0 and 6 years of age. We would love for you and your child to participate in our research. As a thank-you for your participation, we offer your child a small gift.
  • For a research study we are recruiting volunteers who are experiencing mild memory problems. If you or someone that you know is experiencing symptoms such as forgetfulness, getting lost, or often forgetting names or places or has been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, you can be eligible to participate in this study. Study visits are 1-2 hours. Must be between 60 and 100 years of age. You will be compensated for your participation. Located at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in East Baltimore. Contact Caroline Speck at 410-955-5057 or email cspeck1@jhmi.edu for more information. Principal Investigator: Dr. Arnold Bakker Protocol: NA_00051021
  • We are recruiting volunteers for participation in MRI research studies of memory and cognition. Sessions are one to two hours. Must be between 60 and 100 years of age. You will be compensated for your participation. Located in Kennedy Krieger Institute at East Baltimore. Contact Caroline Speck at 410-955-5057 or email cspeck1@jhmi.edu for more information. Principal Investigator: Dr. Arnold Bakker eIRB Protocol NA_00046839