Business is essentially a human-to-human practice. Thus, it is crucial for business students to understand how people interact and how the decision-making process occurs in the business context. The Raimy Behavioral Lab relies on students to serve as research participants, and students hold a critical role in the success of research conducted by faculty. Students in MKTG 301 and/or MGMT 301 have a required research component as part of the class curriculum; students in other business courses can take part in our studies which can be converted to extra credit.
Information for MKTG 301 and/or MGMT 301 Students
The Black School of Business provides introductory business students in MKTG 301 and MGMT 301 with the opportunity to understand human behavior and how people respond to different environments by taking part in business research studies.
Therefore, one requirement of the course is to fulfill a two-hour research requirement. You will receive full credit if you complete the requirement but will lose one full letter grade if you do not complete the required credit hours. You may choose to participate in ongoing faculty and student research, or you may choose to read and briefly summarize two business research articles. However you choose to complete the requirement, we hope that participation in the research program here at Penn State Behrend will prove to be an enlightening and educational experience. You will learn about conducting scientific research and may provide valuable data for the faculty and students who conduct research. You may be assured that all research conducted at Penn State has been approved by Penn State's Institutional Review Board. There are two ways you can earn these credits, as outlined below.
Information for Other Business Courses Participating in Research
Students who are enrolled in the lab-participating business courses can take part in our lab studies for earning SONA credit, which is currency that will be converted as extra credit for your class. Please refer to your class syllabus to see if your class is participating in our behavioral lab. There are two ways you can potentially earn SONA credits as below.
How to Participate in Research
Option 1: Research Participation
WHERE: BSB Research Pool Sona Systems (BSB SONA)
- Note: The Research Participation Pool will be available to students after the first day of class.
- HOW: DO NOT attempt to register; your professor already has you registered and you will receive an email in your PSU email account from the Research Participation Pool with your user ID and password. This email will be sent to you no later than the third week of school. Please add this email address to your list of safe senders: Administrative Email Address.
- The email will look like this:
Steps to retrieve password:
- Click on the "Forgot password?" link.
- Enter your PSU email id (without the @psu.edu).
If you are registered in the system, your password will now be sent to your PSU email account.
- TO LOGIN: After you have accessed your PSU email account and received your password, go back to the main Research Participation Pool site. Enter your PSU email id (without the @psu.edu). Then enter your Research Pool password. Make sure to change your password after you log in the first time.
- AFTER LOGIN: Select an experiment by clicking on "Study Sign-Up" and sign up for the time that is convenient for you. Be sure to fill out all the requested information. If you are unsure how to log in, refer to the tutorial provided in class or the copy available from the research participation pool website.
- READ your appointment reminders carefully! Some experiments may take place in different locations and/or times. You are held responsible if you show up late or in the wrong location. Be responsible and show up for your appointments five minutes early. Remember that a student just like you is counting on your help for their project.
- CANCELING: If you must cancel because of an emergency, you must cancel your appointment no less than two hours before your scheduled arrival. Cancel the experiment time from your research participation pool window and be sure to email the researchers to tell them of your situation. If necessary, call our lab at 814-898-6551 at least two hours before your scheduled appointment. Be sure to leave the following information:
- Your name, class time/day, and professor
- The name, time, and date of the experiment you are canceling
- Your phone number
- HOURS: For your compensation, you will be given at least ½ credit hour for each experiment you participate in. If a particular experiment should take more than 35 minutes, you will receive 1 credit hour. If the experiment should take more than 65 minutes, you will receive 1.5 credit hours, etc.
- AFTER THE EXPERIMENT: The experimenter will give you a credit receipt. It should have your instructor's name, course number, course section, name and student ID number, date and time of the experiment, and the experimenter's name. Always keep your receipts stored in a safe place in case there is a discrepancy between your records and ours.
- WHAT IF THE RESEARCHER IS NOT THERE? Wait in the location of the experiment 15 minutes past the time for which you signed up. Then, on a piece of paper, write your name, class day and time, professor, date and time of the experiment, and the experimenter's name. Give this paper to the Lab Attendant on duty in our behavioral lab that same day. In addition, email [email protected] with the same information. You will receive ½ credit per hour in compensation for your time.
- WHAT IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 18? If you are under the age of 18, you will not be able to consent for participation in research studies in the lab, and would therefore need to complete the alternative assignments (see option 2 below), or wait until after you turn 18 to participate in research, in order to receive the credit hours.
Option 2: Research Summaries
If you choose not to participate in research, you also may satisfy the requirement by reading an original business research article and completing a 300- to 500-word critique. The critique should include a summary and your evaluation of the article. The following requirements must be followed.
- Choose an article that interests you in a peer-reviewed business journal, such as those found on Google Scholar, no more than two calendar years old. [You cannot use newspaper articles or popular magazines]. Journal of Marketing, Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Consumer Behavior, Journal of Applied Psychology are good examples and accessible to students. Each journal article is worth one credit hour.
- Your critique should explain what the research was about, the results obtained, and your opinion of the research.
- Format: The paper must be typed, double-spaced, and have 1-inch margins on all sides. You must also include a separate title page that includes your instructor's name, section, time/day the class meets, your name, student id #, a complete reference to the article you read (article title, year, journal, and page #' s), and a photocopy or screenshot of the first page of your journal article.
- To submit a research summary, please email [email protected] with the required documents.
- In order to receive credit for critiques, all requirements must be met , including: a minimum of 300 words, double-spaced, 1-inch margins, a separate title page, and, most importantly, a photocopy of the first page of the journal article. No credit will be issued for any reason if requirements are missing and/or not followed. It is the sole responsibility of the student to assure all requirements are met upon submission.
*** All critiques must be completed by Friday, April 29, 2022—no later than 5:00 p.m.
What happens if I do not complete six credit hours before the last day of regular class?
If you don't complete six credit hours of research by Friday, April 29, 2022, at 5:00 p.m., your ECON 102 grade will be decreased by one full letter grade, i.e., A to B, or a percentage equivalent to one letter grade. Warning: Be aware that there are not always experiments available the last week of class. Complete your credits EARLY!
CREDIT POSTINGS: You can check your records with the credit reports from your Sona account under the completed section of the website after login. It is your responsibility to monitor your participation record. If you have any questions about your records, please email [email protected].
CREDIT DISCREPANCIES: All credit discrepancies must be resolved before 5:00 p.m. on the Friday, April 29, 2022, deadline.
Note: A reminder to students, please remember to check your credit summaries on Sona regularly and email [email protected] with problems as soon as they are found. Please keep copies of all papers and emails exchanged relating to your research credits. Researchers, as well as participants, are required to keep accurate records for verification.
Lab Policies & Guidelines
Please refer to our behavioral lab's policies and guidelines. While these guidelines are written for student lab attendants, they will provide you with additional information on what in terms of professionalism and computer use.
Questions, Comments, Concerns
Please email [email protected] with questions.
Raimy Behavioral Lab Hours
The Raimy Behavioral Lab in 135 Burke will be open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.