General Information
		Information for Researchers
	Contact Xlab Office: University of California, Berkeley Experimental Social Science Laboratory F502 Haas School of Business # 1922 Berkeley, CA 94720-1922  Phone: 510-642-8780 Fax: 510-642-5018 xlab@econ.berkeley.edu Lab Location: S460 Haas School of Business

 

 

 

register for experiments
	register for subject pool (via sona)
	sign up for experiments (via sona)
un-register
payments
faq for subjects

faq for subjects:

While attempting to signup for an experiment, I am given a message indicating that I am ineligible to participate. What does this mean? Does it apply to all experiments?

Individual Researchers may specify research parameters that disqualify you from participation, such as sex, race, ethnicity, age, native language, GPA, expected year of graduation, et cetera.

What do I do after I sign up?

When new experiments are scheduled you will receive an email inviting you to signup and participate.

Will I get paid?

All Xlab subjects are paid some minimum amount for every experiment.

How much will I be paid, and in what form?

Payouts vary, but the average payment is $15 per hour of participation. The payout is delivered by check after the experiment has completed.

Can I get course credit instead?

The Xlab can host experiments for which researchers may give course credit, but we do not dictate the terms of their research and course objectives.

How long do the experiments take?

In general, they fall in the range of 1hr – 1.5 hrs

What will I have to do?

The experiments are performed in F310 in the HAAS building. <MAP>

You are ready to participate after you have registered as a subject, signed up, and received signup confirmation. Show up at the Xlab 15 minutes before the scheduled experiment start time to sign in. Before signing in please wait in the hallway. The Xlab staff will let you know when you can enter the room.

Generally, experiments have involved using a laptop computer to perform an exercise that may involve, for example, questionnaires or economic games.
       
There is a (possibly variable) payout for experiment participation. This amount is decided upon by the Researcher. You will be paid by check at the end of the experiment. We do not issue payments via paper mail, nor can we hold the checks in the Xlab for later pickup.

What kind of research are the experiments all about?

Generally, experiments involve using a laptop computer to perform an exercise that may involve questionnaires, economic games, psychological questions; any application of the social sciences that can be experimentalized falls inside the Xlab domain.

Are these the same as the psychology experiments?

Psychology researchers do perform distinct experiments in the Xlab for Economists, Marketing Professors, Organizational Behaviorists to name a few. The Psychology Department runs their own experiments separately from the Xlab.

Can I do more than one experiment?

The Xlab offers many different experiment topics and everyone is invited to participate in as many as you wish.  Many of our experiments, however, have restrictions that only allow a subject to participate once in a specific experiment topic.

Can I bring a friend to participate as well?

Yes, you may bring a friend, provided that he/she is a UC Berkeley student or staff member that has registered and signed up for the experiment in question. 

Do I have to be a student in order to participate?

UCB Students and Staff are eligible to participate.

Do I have to be affiliated with UC Berkeley to participate?

Yes, you must be a UCB student or staff.

Where is the Xlab located?

F310 HAAS Business School. <MAP>

How do I remove myself from the list of subjects?

See the <unregister> link to the left.

Will Faculty members look at my personal experiment results or data?

No, data sets collected during the experiments are all completely confidential and may only be reviewed by the Principle Investigator.

Can the Xlab mail my check?

No, the Xlab does not mail checks.

Do I have to participate if I join the pool?

No, participation in an Xlab experiment is strictly voluntary.  You choose the time and date that is convenient for you. 

Do I have to come to an experiment if I sign up?

Our experiments can only work if all subjects who sign up, show up.  If you sign up for an experiment we expect you to be present.  If you are unable to attend the experiment, cancel yourself from the sign up list, so that your slot can be made available to another subject. To do so, sign in to Sona <sign up:experiments> and cancel yourself prior to the experiment.

What does "course" mean?

For student subjects it is the field that their major or academic focus belongs to. UCB Staff members are grouped as ‘All UCB Staff’.