Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the COBE behavioral lab?
The College of Business and Economics Behavioral Lab is a hub of services that support behavioral research on business-related topics. By engaging with us, students can develop a deeper understanding of research methods, enhance their critical thinking skills, and most importantly, embody Boise State’s shared values of academic excellence by actively participating in the academic community’s pursuit of knowledge.
- What types of studies does the COBE behavioral lab run?
The COBE Behavioral Lab runs a wide variety of studies. Most are conducted virtually using a device that can connect to the Internet and a questionnaire.
- Who can participate?
Any student who is 18 or older and has a valid SONA account.
- What are my responsibilities?
As a participant, you must agree to the following responsibilities:
- You must have only one account using your Boise State student email address. If you would like to change your email, please alert one of the key personnel. Those with multiple accounts will be suspended.
- You can participate in a given study only once.
- You agree to take part in studies during the allotted study session window.
- How do I contact the COBE behavioral lab?
The quickest and easiest way is to contact key personnel by email. See key personnel COBE Behavioral Lab.
- I cannot make my session. What should I do? (Remove this?)
- Why are studies not showing up on SONA?
If no studies are shown, the study is likely no longer live. Please reach out to one of our admins COBE Behavioral Lab.
- Are these studies safe? Will I be exposed to anything harmful?
All of the studies run in the lab are approved by the Institutional Review Board. The mission of IRB is:
- To promote the rights and welfare of human research participants
- To facilitate excellence in human research by providing timely and high-quality review of human research
- To provide professional guidance and support to the research community.
- Will my participation be confidential?
All collected information is kept confidential and used for research purposes only.
- How do I earn course credit?
Step 1: Go to the Consumer Research Studies Platform and click “request account.”
Step 2: Enter account information and select courses you are enrolled in.
Step 3: Check your email inbox (including spam folder) for login information.
Step 4: Log in and click “view available studies.”
Step 5: Click on a study, sign up, and participate.
It’s important to note that you should indicate the course to which you would like your participation to be credited. Participation in a study earns credit for one course. For example, suppose you are enrolled in Principals of Marketing (MKTG 301) and Digital Marketing (MKTG 460). In that case, the credit you earn can only be directed to one course unless you participate in additional studies.
You can use this link to view the Sona Systems participation tutorial on YouTube.
- How does SONA work?
Participants engage in a study to which the researcher assigns credit to their SONA account. Understand that this process may take several days.
Following this, your professor will receive notice of the credit that you have earned after each study. This credit will be converted to points toward your grade.
Studies are posted throughout the semester. Log in regularly to check, as time slots are limited!
Participants can participate without special knowledge. Most studies ask you to provide judgments and options for consumer or business-related situations.