<p>My daughter recently answered an ad for research subjects at her college. The project was about video games and personality. She had to play video games, answer some questions, have friends answer questions about her, and do a few other very simple things. She earned $60 for 3 hours of “work”. So I was wondering if anybody or their kids had done this at their school and what their experience had been like.</p>
<p>I volunteered for psych ones at my old research U. It paid either $15 or $20 an hour depending. Generally, they’d hook things up to my head while I did something like math problems or looked at pictures. I would then answer questions before and/or after. </p>
<p>I also did a study with my mom. They were looking for people with her illness with daughters (they were testing some sort of link). All we had to do for that one is answer some health questions and draw blood every few months for like 2 or 3 years. I don’t remember what we got paid for that- it was when I was in high school. </p>
<p>My partner has done some at a few different Us. When they’re looking for people with certain attributes (his colorblindness for example) they’ll pay more because it’s harder to get enough participants. </p>
<p>Most psychology courses require students to participate in several research studies as subjects without pay. Ethically, I think they have to allow an alternative for students who choose not to participate.</p>
<p>My D told us about several studies where she is a test subject. She ran some studies last year and had a hard time finding subjects, so she is doing it to help out and to make some cash. She is having her blood drawn next week. I just hope she does not pass out. The last study measured something in her saliva. She had to spit over and over in a cup, and it was some test about stress.</p>
<p>I participated as a subject in some medical trials–in connection with the nursing school and med school. One was acupressure to reduce breathlessness. One was breathing and allergy skin testing. Also did a study about correct dose for HepB shot and had H participate too. I believe we always got a nominal amount, like $10 CVS gift card, so we would follow up and to thank us for participating. </p>
<p>I always wanted to help folks conducting studies, since its so hard to recruit subjects. Have also been in a few other studies. </p>
<p>I did a few when I was in college. I don’t remember getting paid though. </p>
<p>My father participated in the famous Milgram experiment. He was one of only a few who refused to follow the orders. </p>
<p>Interesting, Emilybee. Would love to hear more about his experience with that. What did he say about the study after it was published?</p>
<p>^They did everything they could think of to get him to continue but he kept on refusing. He was very adamant. </p>
<p>He was quite proud of himself that he was one of the ones who refused (and very early on in the experiment.) The findings were scary. . </p>
<p>The Milgram studies, as his lab did a series of them.</p>
<p>EmilyBee- Your father might be interested in a book that was published last year about the studies. The author interviewed participants. Right now, I can’t recall the title of the book. An internet search should bring it up.</p>
<p>Many issues were raised by the highly publicized version of the study. As a researcher, a primary one for me is ethics and safety for participants.</p>
<p>Anyone interested in participating in research could check websites for medical institutions. Teaching hospitals with their academic ties often conduct research and recruit for subjects. </p>
<p>For any type of study, if after being screened and given a consent from, be certain to read it carefully and ask questions if you have any concerns or are curious/interested in aspects of the study. All studies before approval go through human subjects’ review and are deemed ethical and safe for participants, however, each person’s history is different so there are individual differences in interest and questions/concerns. </p>
<p>I was never a subject in any of these studies, but some of my roommates did. The ones most hard up for cash did some studies that were pretty invasive, such as breathing in some kind of gas. Those paid a lot more than the simple psych experiments.</p>
<p>I just made $10 for participating in an experiment testing the choice to use “reply” or “reply all.” (or at least that’s what the experimenter told me it was about…)</p>
<p>I do it all the time! Usually 1-2x a week. I’ve made about $500 so far this year which is a really nice net, I think, for not so much work at all. They’ve all just been computer-based and nothing invasive.</p>
<p>I remember when H used to do studies for the pharmaceutical he worked for. They were basically blood draws to determine the concentration of the compound in the blood at certain time intervals after the administration of the compound. Those studies paid REALLY well - I’m thinking somewhere in the upper three figures, to lower four figures. It involved taking this compound once a week for three or four weeks. Then throughout the day, he would go get his blood drawn - every 30 minutes for the first two hours, every hour for the next couple of hours, then every hour until 12 hours after taking the compound. The good part was that it took place on the campus where he worked, so he could stay at work all day. </p>
<p>The only downside was, during the trial study, he would have to abstain from taking anything over the counter, which meant, if he had a headache, etc., he couldn’t take anything for it. If allergies were acting up… nothing. But yea, it paid some good money at a time when we could really use it.</p>
<p>Wow, I was never in anything like the Milgram experiment. My S as an EE student was helping analyze some videos that were done of an autism study. I found it fascinating that they would enlist EE students to figure out how to record whatever they were looking for in the videotapes, but I guess it makes sense. He was paid as student researcher (not the subject) and said it was OK work.</p>
<p>At college in the late 70s, I participated in studies all the time, usually in the psychology department but occasionally in a medical-related study in the biology or biochemistry departments. I don’t remember the subjects of any of the studies, but I sought them out because they paid (from my perspective) quite well - usually $10-$20 for a half hour or an hour’s worth of time. That was a lot of money to me then. Human-subject restrictions were not such a hot button issue at the time, though I’m sure the studies were vetted in some way. Essentially every few weeks I’d go to the lobby of the psychology department, look on the bulletin board to see what was being offered that month, and report to Room 101 to pick up some money.</p>
<p>Last year I was a subject in a weeks long study that included wearing a glorified FitBit and filling out surveys every day that tracked menopausal symptoms and their relationship to activity levels. No compensation but I got a lot of personal health info. It was interesting and enlightening.</p>
<p>My brother participated in a steady stream of low risk experiments while in college. He wore a string around his teeth for example, to see how much plaque accumulated in a week of not brushing. He was pretty buff back then, and worked as a medical illustrations model. </p>
<p>One of my sons has been paid for his opinion on new food products. I like that job! I should suggest that as a favorite part time job: getting paid for eating new foods. </p>
<p>@ManhattanBoro - I will mention the book to my dad. </p>
<p>“Wow, I was never in anything like the Milgram experiment.”</p>
<p>I believe the stopped doing anything like Milgram. It was quite controversial. </p>
<p>teriwtt - I also used to volunteer for clinical trials/early drug studies for the pharma company I once worked for. You’re right, the pay was fabulous (sometimes more than $1000, and this was 20-plus years ago) and we were allowed time off from work to participate. Great money and easy work if you don’t mind having your blood drawn a lot…</p>
<p>Once, though, I was in a study where we couldn’t eat caffeine or chocolate for three weeks (they interfered with metabolism of the drug under study). In that one case, the remuneration wasn’t nearly enough. </p>
<p>Yes, there are Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) and bioethicists that review studies to see whether they treat patients/subjects fairly now. Protections were much less before, which caused these IRBs and informed consents in lay terms.</p>