Students Earn a Little Extra Cash

Some undergraduates make five dollars by playing computer games for half an hour. Others earn 20 dollars by sitting in a room alone. And then there are those who earn the princely sum of 50 dollars for letting researchers scan an image of their brain.

These offers aren't hare-brained, get-rich-quick schemes, but rather experiments conducted at William James Hall on behalf of Harvard's Department of Psychology.

Tattered sign-up sheets advertising psychology experiments crowd the bulletin board in the lobby. Tasks vary in content, complexity and duration, but all lure students with the promise of money.

Robyn M. Carter '99, who averages one study per week, said money was her main motivation for participating in the experiments.

"I have a job, but it doesn't pay much," Carter said. "It's a way to make quick spending money."

Patricia A. Clahar '98 agreed. "I have a couple of jobs, actually, but [the pay from psychology experiments] is pocket cash," she said.

Jonathon N. Cummings, a graduate student in social psychology and a resident tutor of John Winthrop House, said course credit is another reason students participate in psychology studies.

Cummings, who is presently studying people who work in groups versus those who work alone, said the bulk of his subjects are students in Psychology I, "Introduction to Psychology," who receive course credit for their participation.

Other students say they are motivated by genuine interest in the research topics of the psychological studies.

"At first, freshman year, I did them because I thought they were interesting," Clem A. Pollydore '99 said. "Now it's also a chance to make money quickly and to help someone out with their research."

Dara Chafik, a graduate student in history and Middle Eastern Studies, said, "I was curious to know what the experiment was about and how they tried to pick my brain."

Time Commitments

Although some studies require only a half-hour commitment, others demand up to three months of involvement.

Chafik said she simply does not have the time now to participate in psychology studies any more. Clahar, on the other hand, said she averages one study a day if she isn't too busy.

"Some are actually kind of fun," Clahar said. "I usually choose the studies involving a computer or questionnaire because they are relatively quick."

In addition to walking away from experiments with a fistful of money, students said they also leave with questions about how the human mind functions.

"It makes you learn about the different processes that your brain goes through," Carter said.

"Soon I'm going to get my brain imaged using a Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine," Pollydore said. "I'm really excited to look at how the brain processes information."

She added, "I'm also excited because it pays 50 dollars."