Thank you for your interest in participating in studies with the Affective Neuroscience and Development Lab! Our science depends on volunteers like you. Please check out this page for answers to frequently asked questions. You can sign up here. You can also email us at andl@g.harvard.edu or call us at 617-496-4979.
What kinds of information do you collect?
Each study is a little different, but in general, we want to find out three kinds of information.
We sometimes want to know about how you think and feel, so we might ask you to answer some questions about your thoughts, feelings, and motivations.
We sometimes want to know how children and adolescents and adults respond to different kinds of information, like pictures of different people or scenes. You would look at these kinds of pictures on a computer screen, and press buttons to make decisions about them.
We sometimes take measurements of the structure and function of the brain. The brain can be noninvasively imaged with MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).
Is it safe to have an MRI?
There are no known or foreseeable risks or side effects associated with MRI scanning procedures except for those people who have electrically, magnetically or mechanically activated implants, or metal in or on their bodies. Therefore, we carefully remove all metal from participants before they are approved to enter the MRI environment. We will provide more detailed information about MRI scanning if you come in to participate.
Can I participate if I have braces or other metal implants?
If you have any metal on or in your body that cannot be removed (nonremovable piercings, certain orthodontic work, pacemakers, clips) we might not be able to enroll you in our MRI studies. We can assess this in greater detail over the phone. However, we also have research studies that are done at a computer, without an MRI scan and anybody – metal implants or no metal implants – are safe to participate in those studies!
Do I get anything for participating?
You will be compensated for your time with cash or a gift card.
Where does the study take place?
This depends on the study. Some studies can be completed online from your home. Other studies will need to be completed in-person at the Northwest Science Building on the campus of Harvard University. Please visit our Contact page for detailed directions and parking information.
Want to know what it’s like to have an MRI scan?
Our friends in California made a video about what it’s like for a child or teen to have an MRI scan. Our MRI scans are very similar to the ones they describe.
Thanks to Silvia Bunge and Moriah Thomason for sharing this video!