Event-Related Potentials (ERPs)
Participation in this study is entirely voluntary. Thank you very much for agreeing to participate.
- The ERP procedure will take place at Tufts University (near Davis Square on the Red Line).
- For participating in the ERP study, you will be paid at least $40 plus an additional bonus of up to $15 depending on the proportion of correct responses you make.
- Altogether, you should schedule approximately three hours to give time for you to fill out forms and for the ERP session. Usually we are finished within 2 hours but there are sometimes delays in the schedule.
- The purpose of this is to look at the electrical activity that your brain generates on the surface of the head when you perform tasks such as reading. ERPs gives us information about when the brain is activated.
- When you come in to do the study, you will be given a detailed consent form and we will go over the study procedures with you in detail. Below is a brief description of what is involved.
- ERPs don’t involve any big machinery. You will be asked to sit in a comfortable chair and to read or look at what is on a computer screen in front of you while we measure the activity in your brain as you are doing this.
- For us to measure this activity, we will put on a cap that is like a swimming cap. However, it has lots of holes in it. We will squirt a gel through the holes. This gel just contains water and salt and its purpose is to increase the contact to your scalp. This gel will be squirted into the electrode sites with a flat-tipped syringe. This is not the type of syringe used to give shots and will not break the skin. The flat end of a q-tip will be inserted into the electrodes and used to gently insure that the gel makes a good connection between skin and electrode. The gel washes out of hair easily in the shower.
- It takes us about 30-40 minutes to set things up. During this time, you can watch a video for relaxation.
- Then, after a practice, you will begin actually doing the task. We’ll give you more detailed instructions at the time. This will take up to an hour.
- If you normally wear contact lenses, please can you wear your glasses instead.
- Please don’t use hairspray. Also, it’s worth bringing a hairbrush along. Although the gel referred to above comes out easily in the shower, it can leave your hair looking a little messy afterwards.
- You should be clear about exactly when you are scheduled and who you will meet. If there are any questions about this, please ask the person who scheduled you for the study and/or try to reach us at the following number: 617-627-2198.
- If you need to cancel, it is important that you let us know. This is because it takes us a while to get things set up and it would save us a lot of time if you let us know ahead of time.
- If you need to cancel before the day of the study, please try to reach us at the following number: 617-627-2198 .
- If you need to cancel on the day of the study, please try to reach us at 617-627-2198.
- We need to confirm that you remember your appointment. We will therefore telephone you the day before the appointment to remind you. If we can’t get hold of you, we will leave a message with our telephone number. Please call back to confirm that you will be taking part in the study.
