Researchers in various studies looking for participants
Here is a list of research studies that currently are looking for participants.
Full-time employees needed for a study on leisure experiences
A Purdue study on leisure experiences is looking for volunteers over the age of 18 who are employed full time. The primary investigator is Howard Weiss, professor emeritus of psychological sciences.
The study will investigate the thoughts and experiences individuals have during leisure time. Participants will attend a short training session in the Psychological Sciences Building and provide brief reports of daily experiences for five consecutive days. The anticipated total time involvement over the course of the week is two or 2.5 hours.
Participants will be compensated up to $35 upon completion of the study. To participate, or for more information on the study, contact lgasque@purdue.edu.
Breakfast habits survey
A Krannert undergraduate/master's ELI team is gathering information regarding the breakfast habits of Purdue students, faculty and staff.
An online survey is available at https://purdue.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_08opkPDJnh5ivzu. The survey will take approximately four minutes.
Questions regarding the survey should be directed to Asela Gunasekera at agunasek@purdue.edu.
Study on how brain combines sight and sound
Children ages 9 and 11 are needed for a study on how the brain combines sight and sound.
Natalya Kaganovich, assistant professor of speech, language, and hearing sciences and psychological sciences, is studying how the brain's ability to combine auditory and visual information develops in childhood and how it may be impaired in speech/language disorders.
Children will participate in three 1.5- to two-hour research sessions. Participants first will take a series of standardized tests that will evaluate working memory, attention, nonverbal intelligence and language skills.
They then will participate in a brain wave recording during which their brain activity in response to both speech and nonspeech audiovisual information will be collected. Brain wave recording sessions are structured as games. Brain waves will be collected with the help of a special cap with built-in electrodes (similar to EEG recordings). There is no discomfort involved, and the method has been used safely with infants, children and adults.
To participate, children must be 11-year-old boys or girls, or 9-year-old girls; typically developing; right-handed native speakers of American English; free of speech, language, hearing/vision or neurological disorders and conditions such as autism/Asperger's, head injuries, seizures, brain tumors, cerebral palsy, ADHD, stuttering and depression; and should not be currently on medications that may affect brain activity (e.g., medications to control ADHD, seizures or depression).
Children will be compensated $10 per hour and will receive a small toy (worth approximately $5) at the end of each session. Parents also will be paid $10 per session.
To participate, contact Jennifer Schumaker at jschumak@purdue.edu, or call 49-44445 and leave your contact information.
Married couples sought for study
Couples married less than 12 months are being sought for a study.
Married couples ages 18-55 are needed to answer questionnaires in the lab and complete a two-week diary study about personality traits and their relationship. Participants will be paid $75 for completion of the study ($150 per couple).
Those interested should contact Susan South, assistant professor of psychological sciences, at southmaritalstudy@gmail.com or 49-41411.
Advice interactions in everyday life
Participants are needed for a research study on advice interactions in everyday life.
Participants must be African-American, Asian-American, Asian, Russian-American, or Russian, and not full-time undergraduate or graduate students.
The study involves a series of brief questionnaires completed over a three-week period for a total time commitment of three hours. Compensation is $40.
To participate, contact Lauren Jurkynas at ljurkyna@purdue.edu or Lisa Guntzviller at 49-43429.
Interactions between friends
Participants are needed for a research study on interactions between friends.
Friends must be of the same gender and culture, and not romantically involved.
The study involves completing questionnaires and being videotaped while talking with a friend. The study takes 90 minutes, and each participant is compensated $10. Due to study requirements, researchers are not currently able to accept European-Americans ("Caucasians") who are full-time students (either undergraduate or graduate).
To participate, contact Katie Erb at kmerb@purdue.edu or Lisa Guntzviller at 49-43429.
Study investigating balance control in newly standing infants
Newly standing infants (11 month to 13 months of age) are needed for a study investigating the mechanisms influencing balance control in infants. Researchers are interested in the different factors that contribute to infants being able to control their balance and stand upright. Infants will be standing on a platform that measures their body sway when they stand on their own, when they hold a toy, and when they look at a video of a toy.
The project consists of one 30-minute session at the Life-Span Motor Development Lab in Lambert Fieldhouse. Infants must be capable of standing independently (without any support) for a brief period of time. Researchers are looking for infants who are using furniture and other objects to walk around in their environment, but are not yet able to walk more than a few steps on their own. Participants will receive an infant-sized T-shirt.
To express interest in participating or to receive more information, contact Laura Claxton, assistant professor of health and kinesiology, at 49-62293 or ljclaxton@purdue.edu.
Study investigating balance control in newly sitting infants
Newly sitting infants (4 months to 10 months of age) are needed for a study investigating the mechanisms influencing balance control in infants. Previous research in the Life-Span Motor Development Lab in the Department of Health and Kinesiology has found that newly standing infants are capable of surprisingly stable balance when they are engaged in an attention-demanding task. Researchers want to see if this same phenomenon is also occurring in newly sitting infants.
Infants will be sitting on a platform that measures their body sway when they sit on their own, when they hold a toy, and when they look at pictures of a toy.
The project consists of one 30-minute session at the Life-Span Motor Development Lab in Lambert Fieldhouse. Infants must be capable of sitting independently (without any support) for a brief period of time. Participants will receive an infant-sized T-shirt.
To express interest in participating or to receive more information, contact Laura Claxton, assistant professor of health and kinesiology, at 49-62293 or ljclaxton@purdue.edu.
Study on beans and metabolism
Men and women ages 21-55 who are overweight by approximately 10-75 pounds are needed for a study by the Department of Nutrition Science.
Researchers are studying whether different patterns of eating beans will affect how the body processes food. The principal investigator on the study is Megan McCrory, assistant professor of foods and nutrition.
Participants must be in general good health, be nonsmokers, have few dietary restrictions, and be willing to eat beans.
The study involves six visits to Purdue and a time commitment of about 40 hours. Participants will be paid $360 upon completion of the study.
For more information, call 49-40130 or email McCroryLabStudies@gmail.com and refer to the "bean pattern study."
Study on mother-child conversations
Researchers in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies are recruiting families with children ages 4-6 for a study on mother-child conversations about past experiences and children's behaviors at school. The primary investigator is German Posada, associate professor of human development and family studies.
Participation in the study includes one visit to the Department of Child Development and Family Studies. Child-mother dyads will play with the toys and have conversations about the child's past experiences. Also, teachers and mothers will answer questionnaires about child behavior in the preschool setting.
Participating families will receive $20 as a token of appreciation for their time.
For more information, contact Ting Lu, doctoral student researcher, at jtinglu@purdue.edu or 765-337-2573, or Posada at gposada@purdue.edu or 49-41029.
Study on dietary protein intake and skeletal muscle
Wayne Campbell, professor of foods and nutrition, is conducting a research study to assess the effect of dietary protein intake on skeletal muscle in slightly overweight men and women ages 65 to 80.
This study includes six days of testing spread over 16 weeks. Men and women ages 65 to 80 years, in general good health, nonsmoking, and interested in participating in this study should contact Jan Green at jkgreen@purdue.edu or 49-47660.
Compensation will be $200 at the completion of the study.
Hard-of-hearing people sought for study
Individuals age 18 and older who either wear a hearing aid or have been told they need one are needed for a study investigating novel approaches to improve speech understanding using hearing aids.
The study is being conducted by the Experimental Amplification Research (EAR) Laboratory at Purdue (www.TinyURL.com/PurdueEAR).
Participants will be paid $12 an hour for several one- or two-hour sessions.
The principal investigator is Joshua Alexander, assistant professor in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences.
Contact the EAR lab at 49-45956 or PurdueEarLab@gmail.com.
Study on how sounds are processed in the brain
Adults with mild to moderate permanent hearing loss are needed for an experimental study evaluating how sounds are processed in the human brain.
Ananthanarayan Krishnan, professor of audiology in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences and principal investigator, is studying how pitch is processed in the brainstem.
Adults with mild to moderate permanent hearing loss will participate in a two-hour research session, during which their brain activity will be recorded in response to different sound stimuli. The experimental procedure consists of recording electrical activity from the brain (using EEG-type electrodes attached to the head) in response to various sounds presented through headphones at comfortable listening levels. The participants need to lie back and relax (fall asleep preferably) on a recliner situated in a sound-treated booth. There is no discomfort involved, and the method has been used safely with infants, children and adults.
All research will be performed in the Auditory Electrophysiology Laboratory, Heavilon Hall, Room B15. Payment will be given to participants in the form of a check from Purdue University. Participation in this study is completely voluntary. Participants who withdraw from the study prior to completion will receive partial payment as judged to be fair compensation by the principal investigator. Participants will be compensated $10 per hour ($20 for the two-hour session).
To participate, subjects must be 20-45 years old with normal hearing; right-handed; and free of speech, language, hearing/vision or neurological disorders and conditions such as autism/Asperger's, head injuries, seizures, brain tumors, cerebral palsy, ADHD, stuttering and depression; also they should not be currently on medications that may affect brain activity (e.g., medications to control ADHD, seizures or depression).
To participate, contact Saradha Ananthakrishnan at sanantha@purdue.edu.
Study on mothers and infants
Researchers in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies are recruiting mothers with an infant who will be age 11 to 14 months in 2011 and 2012. The purpose of the study is to observe mothers and infants at home doing regular activities, such as playing and feeding, and balancing caregiving with other tasks around the home.
Mothers age 18 and older are welcome to participate. Participants will receive $20 in appreciation for their time and a free copy of an assessment about infant social and emotional development.
The primary investigator is German Posada, associate professor of human development and family studies.
For more information, contact Nancy Longoria, research assistant, at nlongori@purdue.edu or 49-63470, or Posada at gposada@purdue.edu or 49-41029.
Study on bean processing and bean enzyme availability on appetite and metabolism
Men and women ages 18-55 and who are generally healthy and either not overweight or are overweight (by approximately 10-75 pounds) are needed by the Department of Nutrition Science. Researchers are studying if the processing of beans (blended or whole forms) or taking the Beano dietary supplement will affect how the body processes beans.
The principal investigator on the study is Megan McCrory, assistant professor of foods and nutrition.
Participants must be in general good health, be nonsmokers, have few dietary restrictions, and be willing to eat bean foods provided during the study. Participants will be paid $240 upon completion of the study. The study involves eight visits to Purdue with a time commitment of about 30 hours.
For more information, contact McCrory laboratory at mccrorylabstudies@gmail.com or 49-40130 and refer to the "bean form study."
Food form study
Participants are needed by the Department of Nutrition Science to study the effects of food form on metabolism.
Participants must be ages 18-50, be in general good health and enjoy foods containing chocolate. Participants may earn up to $200 in 14 weeks.
The principal investigator for the study is Richard Mattes, professor of foods and nutrition.
For more information, contact Josh at foodform@purdue.edu.
Gesture recognition for quadriplegics
The School of Industrial Engineering is looking for men and women 18-65 with any level of upper-extremity impairments to participate in a research study to develop a gesture recognition system for people with quadriplegia. This gesture recognition system may allow quadriplegics to control wheelchairs and other technologies by using only arm movements.
The primary investigators are Juan Wachs and Brad Duerstock. Participants are required to watch and carry out a set of defined gestures, then rank the ease of performing each gesture. The interview will last about 45-60 minutes. To participate, please contact Hairong Jiang at jiang115@purdue.edu or call 765-586-9038.
Study on diet and chronic disease risk
Men and women ages 18-65 are needed for a study on diet and chronic disease risk by the Department of Nutrition Science.
Researchers are studying whether different patterns of dietary intake are linked with a risk for chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and dementia. The principal investigator on the study is Megan McCrory, assistant professor of foods and nutrition.
Participants must be in general good health, be nonsmokers, and have few dietary restrictions. The study involves four visits to Purdue with a time commitment of about 18 hours. Participants will be paid $200 upon completion of the study.
For more information, call 49-40130 or email mccrorylabstudies@gmail.com and refer to the "Biomarkers Study."
Health effects of peanuts
Men and women ages 18-50 are needed by the Department of Nutrition Science for a study to examine the health effects of eating peanuts.
The principal investigator for the study is Richard Mattes, professor of foods and nutrition.
Participants must be in general good health and enjoy eating peanuts. Participation in the study involves seven visits over the course of 13 weeks.
Participants will receive $150 at the completion of the study.
For more information, email pvariety@purdue.edu.
Effects of almond consumption on health
Participants are needed by the Department of Nutrition Science to study the effects of longer-term almond consumption on health.
The principal investigator for the study is Richard Mattes, professor of foods and nutrition.
The four-week study involves seven visits, and compensation is $350 upon completion.
Men and women ages 18-60, in general good health, not allergic to nuts and interested in participating in this study should contact Yen at almeal@purdue.edu.
Dairy foods study
A Purdue researcher is looking for people who avoid milk as part of their diet to participate in a dairy foods study in the Department of Nutrition Science.
Participants will undergo hydrogen breath testing, fill out questionnaires asking about dairy foods, and drink milk with meals two times a day. People interested in participating must be ages 18-55, not allergic to milk, willing to add milk to their diet, and be able to read and respond in American English. Participants will receive $100.
Dennis Savaiano, professor of foods and nutrition, is leading the study. To participate or for more information, contact Tracy Eaton at 49-46083 or tkeaton@purdue.edu.
