Experiment Requirement Information

Psychological data and theories depend upon the research methods used to obtain them. Thus, an exposure to research and research methods is an experience that is valuable to understanding psychology. At most universities some exposure to psychological research is generally required of students enrolled in introductory psychology courses. At the University of Texas at Austin, the Department of Psychology requires each student enrolled in PSY 301 to gain some familiarity with, and appreciate of, the aims, methods, problems, and results of psychological research.

There are two options the student has for completing this requirement:

• the research paper option, and
• the experiment option.

The two research requirement options are discussed during one of the first meetings of the Psychology 301 class. If you feel that you cannot complete the requirement in either of the ways outlined on this page, you should see the teaching assistant to discuss the possibility of alternatives.

Prescreening Information

In order to qualify for some experiments and to get .5 hours of credit towards your experiment requirement, you must complete a number of prescreening questionnaires. This will help researchers find appropriate participants for their experiments. Prescreening is done on OPERA, the online Psychology Experiment and Research Application.

See "Important Dates to Remember" for prescreening dates.

If you choose to participate in prescreening, you must do so between January 14, 2013 and February 1, 2013. Please try to do it earlier during this timeframe to avoid overloading the server.

You do not have to complete prescreening in one session. Each time you log on you will pick up where you left off.

If you have questions or problems regarding the prescreening web site, e-mail 301research@austin.utexas.edu