Search Results
Comparison of Two Methods of Genre-based (Research Article) Writing Instruction
The different effects of genre-based writing instruction and integration of technology use in genre-based writing instruction will be examined. The specific genre for this study is a research paper. Different patterns of instructor-learner interaction in both instructional situations will also be investigated.
There will be three in-person visits for instructions on academic writing. Pre- and Post-instructions questionnaires and reflective journals will be collected.
non-native English speakers
adults older than 18 years old
active student enrolled at University Park campus
living in the United States
younger than 18 years old
not living in the United States
Telehealth Navigation for Informed Prostate Cancer Screening in Black Men
This study is being conducted to determine whether patient navigation improves informed decision making for prostate cancer screening. Participants will be offered the opportunity to discuss and address issues related to PSA testing with a patient navigator over a one month period. Surveys at the beginning and end of this period will include health knowledge, opinions on telehealth, and barriers to health care. All sessions will be conducted virtually.
Complete short on-line questionnairesComplete at least one telehealth session with the Patient Navigator
100
ages 45 to 70
spoken english language
Understanding experiences of international students with healthcare and antibiotics
This study examines the experiences of international students with regard to upper respiratory illnesses, healthcare, and use of antibiotics in their home countries and in the United States. The findings of the study will inform the development of training to improve healthcare providers’ communication skills for discussing antibiotics with international students.
Complete one online survey, which takes approximately 20 minutes.
10.00
College/university undergraduate or graduate student at a U.S. university
born and raised in and is currently a citizen of China, India, or South Korea
English speaking
lived in the United States for less than 7 years
Not a college or university student at a U.S. university
Not born or raised in and currently citizen of China, India, or South Korea
Not English speaking
Lived in the United States more than 7 years
Effects of heating on exercise pressor reflex in peripheral artery disease: Exercise Ability
To determine if the sympathetic and blood pressure (BP) responses to exercise will be attenuated during and after heat exposure in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD).
There will be up to 6 visits at the Hershey Medical Center.The visits involve walking on a treadmill, sitting in a warm or neutral temperature bath, wearing a heat suit, and having one or both of your legs in a warm bath.
You will receive $25 per hour for your participation in this research study
all minorities and ethnicies included
free of acute or chronic medical conditions
over 21 years old
under 21 years old
Decisional impairment
Califormula Study: Calibrated Formula Feeding to Optimize Infant Growth
This pilot study seeks to determine if formula feeding recommendations that are adjusted using age and weight specific caloric intake recommendations can prevent excessive infant weight gain and reduce overweight in the first 6 months after birth among infants born to mothers with overweight prior to pregnancy electing to exclusively formula feed their infants.
There will be 5-7 visits, where you will record formula volumes on diary cards for a total of 6 days per visit, and be given formula volume recommendations if you are in the intervention group. All participants will complete surveys when their infants are 1 and 6 months of age.
$300
Term or Early term Infants (≥37 weeks)
Infant birthweight ≥50th percentile
Normalizing preteen HPV vaccination with practice-based communication strategies (Protect Them)
This study seeks to adapt and test a culturally-relevant, web-based game intervention to motivate Spanish-speaking preteens to initiate and complete human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. The present study will adapt an existing web-based game developed as an educational tool on HPV vaccination for English-speaking preteens in North Carolina. The study includes the recruitment of paired dyads (Spanish-speaking preteens and parents) to focus groups to evaluate the acceptability of cultural adaptations to the existing web-based game intervention. We will recruit up to 25 parents and preteens ages 11-12 who will receive a link to the Spanish game to play for 7-10 days in advance of the focus group discussions. The focus groups will ask participants about cultural and language adaptations to the existing game and how they react to a game that will serve as an interactive, educational tool on HPV vaccination. The focus groups will take place in Harrisburg, PA between January and March of 2018. No health information will be collected as part of this study.
Not vaccinated with the HPV vaccine
Have computer, tablet, or smartphone
Children’s reaction to multimodal cues in instructional materials
We aim to study how minoritized students perceive multimodal cues in instructional materials to improve STEM teaching for their STEM identity development.
To participate in the study at Penn State, students will be accompanied with their parent or a legal guardian. During the 40-minute session, participants will be asked to complete a brief survey and take part in an interview.
$50
English is understood by prospective subjects or representatives
English is not understood by prospective subjects or representatives
Optimizing Maternal Nutrition: Adaptive trials and molecular methods to improve maternal and newborn health
Poor maternal nutrition is linked to poor birth outcomes. Current vitamin and mineral recommendations in pregnancy are based on limited data mostly from animal models and non-pregnant people. This study seeks to improve our understanding of the amounts of vitamins and minerals that are needed during pregnancy, to improve the health of women and newborns, especially in low-and middle-income countries. Nutrients travel around the body in blood, therefore part of the research is to understand how much blood and the watery component of blood (plasma) increases in pregnancy. This is a collaborative study with George Washington University (lead PI is there). The Penn State team will conduct pilot work to establish a method for measuring plasma volume in 2 phases. In phase 1, nonpregnant will be asked to attend one visit and plasma volume will be measured by injecting indocyanine-green (ICG, a green dye) and hydroxyethyl starch (HES, a form of starch) through an IV in the arm. In phase 2, pregnant women will be asked to attend 2 visits that are 4 weeks apart, but only HES (the starch) will be injected. For both phases (1 and 2), blood draws will occur at each visit and other non-invasive measurements will also be taken (e.g. weight, height, blood pressure). Each visit should take less than 2 hours and will be conducted at the Clinical Research Center in Noll Laboratory on the Penn State campus.
In phase 1, nonpregnant will be asked to attend one visit and plasma volume will be measured by injecting indocyanine-green (ICG, a green dye) and hydroxyethyl starch (HES, a form of starch) through an IV in the arm. In phase 2, pregnant women will be asked to attend 2 visits that are 4 weeks apart, but only HES (the starch) will be injected. For both phases (1 and 2), blood draws will occur at each visit and other non-invasive measurements will also be taken (e.g. weight, height, blood pressure). Each visit should take less than 2 hours and will be conducted at the Clinical Research Center in Noll Laboratory on the Penn State campus.
$50 per visit
Are generally healthy with normal blood pressure and BMI
Phase 1 - not pregnant
Phase 2 - are currently pregnant (22-32 weeks)
Currently have low or high blood pressure
Taking regular medication(s) prescribed by a physician
Phase 1 - pregnant or breastfeeding
Phase 2 - multiple/twin pregnancy
Examining responses to rewards in the laboratory and during daily life in individuals who smoke cigarettes
The goal of this study is to learn more about how people who smokecigarettes respond to rewards, such as winning money, under different conditions. The study uses a method called functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI, which is a research method for measuring activity in the brain. In this study, we are using fMRI to measure how brain activity changes in people who smoke when they receive rewards. The fMRI measures are collected during two separate visits. Participants are also asked to fill out questionnaires and complete computer tasks while in the lab. In addition, the study involves measuring thoughts and behaviors in people who smoke in real life by asking them to fill out surveys on a smartphone. Participants are asked to carry a smartphone for a total of 10 days and answer several surveys throughout each day. In order to be eligible for the study, individuals must be between 18 and 55 years old and you must smoke on a daily basis.
Right Handed
Smokes cigarettes
Left Handed
non-smokers
Future of Construction Workplace Health Monitoring
This study will examine different structural designs of stretchable, skin-like sensors on the surface of human skin for construction workplace health monitoring.
There will be one in person visit, you will be asked to sit still for 3 minutes and then move your skin for another 3 minutes.
be over 18 years old.
must understand English.
from Penn State, University Park
cannot understand English
under 18 years old
Coping with it All from Labor to Maternity
The CALM Project is looking to learn how different birthing classes prepare child-bearers for parenthood. Participants attend a free birthing class between their 20th and 37th weeks of pregnancy with their partners and fill out three questionnaires during pregnancy and postpartum. Three months after their baby is born, they are video-recorded interacting with their baby in their home and have their brain scanned using MRI. We aim to understand how different childbirth classes support mothers' well-being and bonding with their babies.
Women are asked to 1.complete 3 self-report questionnaires online during pregnancy and after their baby is born (45 minutes each)2.attend a childbirth preparation class (from a few hours to a 9-week class)3.participate in 2 in-person sessions (1.5 hours each): a videorecording with their baby in the home and a brain scan using MRI at Penn State Hershey Medical Center.
$160 + free birthing class
At least 18 years old
Speaks English
Pregnancy complications that would prevent you from participating in an online class
Understanding rideshare passengers’ awareness and attitudes toward Rideshare drivers’ safety
In prior research, it was found that the major source of drivers’ feelings of lack of safety is the passenger (Almoqbel and Wohn, 2020); in this research, we aim to understand the perceptions of rideshare passengers of the drivers’ safety. We plan to interview 30 rideshare passengers from the U.S. We ask them questions about their behavior in the rideshare cars and their perception of the driver's safety. The results will provide insights into passengers’ behaviors that could be influenced by platforms to enhance the safety of both app users, the driver, and the passenger.
We are researchers to work on understanding users’ rideshare experience. If you often use rideshare apps (e.g., almost every week), such as Uber or Lyft, please consider participating in our 30 mins to 1 hours interview to share your rideshare and app usage experience. We can have a remote interview with Zoom, Discord, phone call, or Skype.
$15
English-Speaking
Non-English speaking
Robots that Learn Games by Asking People Questions
The study goal is to develop robots that can learn simple games by interviewing humans. The robot interview strategies are represented as Markov Decision Process policies, and are developed offline through robot interactions with simulated interviewees. The investigator can set the simulated interviewee to respond to the robot's queries with different amounts of information. The games include board games like Connect 4, Quarto, and Checkers. The communication between the robot and simulated interviewee is in a formal language like first order logic. After a simulated dialogue, the robot will have more or less knowledge of the game, depending on the conditions of the simulated interviewee. Human subjects will interact with the robots in two ways. First, to test the utility of the new knowledge, human subjects will participate in experiments where they play the game with virtual robots that have learned the game under different conditions. Second, to investigate the kinds of misunderstandings of questions and answers that might arise if the robot could interview a human, we will present subjects with extracts from the formal language dialogues that we have mapped to English in different ways, and ask subjects to imagine how they would express the same meaning in English, or answer questions in different ways, or what sorts of misunderstandings they might imagine in a real dialogue.
Ability to communicate in written and spoken English
Able to give informed consent
Unable to communicate in written and spoken English
Unable to give informed consent
Active Men's Study
Description: This research study is to assess energetic status, reproductive health, and bone health in a population of young exercising men. Secondarily, this study will also explore how diet, fitness, cardiovascular function, eating behaviors, stress, cognitive function, and sleep related to energy and reproductive outcomes in exercising men. Eligible young men (age 18-35) are those who are generally healthy and either a) exercising or b) not exercising.
There will be essentially 5 study visits - The first visit will include informed consent to take part in the study & completion of questionnaires and measurement of anthropometrics. Visit 2 will include tests of your metabolism, a blood draw, a saliva collection, and assessment of diet and physical activity. Visit 3 will be a short visit for a saliva collection. Visit 4 will include tests of stress (a hair sample), body composition, bone health, aerobic and anaerobic fitness, cognitive testing, and reproductive function. Visit 5 will consist of a results meeting and return of wearable devices and logs.
BMI between 16-29.9 kg/m2
Non-smoker
For sedentary participants: less than 150 minutes of purposeful exercise per week
For exercising participants: at least 150 minutes of purposeful exercise per week (moderate to high intensity aerobic and/or resistance training).
Procedures using contrast material within the past 7 days, including X-rays, MRI scans, CT scans, barium studies, nuclear medicine exams.
Currently a smoker or history of regular smoking
Prostheses
Vasectomy
Computer-Human Team Problem-Solving
This project examines team problem solving. Participants will work individually or in small groups to solve problems alone or in collaboration with a computer (AI) program, presented either as puzzles or in case studies. Participants may be occasionally asked to self-report concerning the problem, their own or their group's progress, and/or other aspects of their solving.
Must be at least 18 years of age
Must be at least 18 years of age
Effects of acid sensing ion channels blockade with amiloride on exercise pressor reflex in patients with peripheral artery disease
The purpose of the study is to determine the effects of amiloride on the blood pressure response during exercise, and exercise tolerance in patients with PAD and healthy controls.
There will be 3 in-person visits. You will take a capsule of amiloride or placebo before visits 2 and 3 and blood pressure, heart rate and other physiological measurements will be recorded.
You will receive $25 per hour for your participation in this research study
Any race or ethnicity
Healthy: Free of acute medical conditions
PAD: Diagnosis of PAD, no pain at rest
Resting blood pressure of 150/100 or higher
Already taking amiloride
Recent heart attack or epilepsy
Peripheral neuropathy
Identifying and Predicting Inflection Points in Human-Agent Action Teams Using Relational Event Modeling
The purpose of this study is to better understand how human teams with non-human virtual agent team members operate and function.
If you agree to be in this study, you will be fitted to sensors that will measure your neurophysiological (i.e., brain, cardiac, and respiratory) signals while you complete group tasks in person or in virtual reality. This interaction will be recorded and coded. You will also be asked to complete several questionnaires about your demographics, behaviors, and emotions.
$50
English-speaking
Willing/able to travel to Penn State University Park location research site
No cardiovascular, metabolic, or neurological condition
Willing to wear EEG sensors
Report or diagnosis of a neurological injury or disorders related to cardiovascular-respiratory, metabolic or brain function
Cannot speak or read English
Unable to provide informed consent
Not willing to wear EEG sensors
Investigating Design Aspects of Immersive Virtual Field Trips and Site Experiences
This study investigates the effects and effectiveness of different options for designing immersive virtual reality tours of real-world places. Participants will wear a Virtual Reality headset and watchseveral short tours featuring different environments (museum, forest, harbor, Mayan site). After each tour, participants will be asked for their opinion on certain design aspects of the tour app.
English speaking
able to wear a VR headset + sit and turn in a swivel chair while watching the short VR tours
able to listen to the tour's audio commentary
non-English speaking
Couples' Daily Lives with Chronic Back Pain
The purpose of this study is to learn more about the daily experiences of people with back pain and their spouse/partner. Participants and their spouse/partner will be interviewed by video using a tablet computer every 6 months for 2 years and will be asked to complete daily surveys twice a day for 30 days using the provided tablet computer. The daily surveys will take about 5 to 10 minutes to complete. Questions for the interviews and daily surveys focus on physical symptoms, feelings, activities, and interactions.
Video interviews using a tablet computer every 6 months for 2 years. Complete daily surveys twice a day for 30 days using a tablet computer.
295.00
Experienced moderate or severe back pain for at least 3 months
Married or in a long-term relationship AND living with spouse or partner
Pattern Learning in Human Adults
We are interested in what adults notice about stimuli that are presented to them. These stimuli typically consist of novel objects, abstract images, or made-up words.
Fluent in English
Minimum High School Education
Normal or corrected-to-normal vision/ hearing
Those unable to consent, pregnant women, children, and prisoners will be excluded.
Nurse Situation Awareness in ICUs
This is an interview and survey study that will examine how the design of ICU warning information system influence nurses situation awareness.
This study aims to understand how the design factors of warning information system influence nurse situation awareness in ICUs. You will participate an online interview study and fill out two questionnaires. The study takes 1-2 hours.
$30
Eye-tracking of Aging and Language
We are interested in how adults understand language, and how this changes across the lifespan. Participants will complete paper and pencil tasks, computer-based tasks, and we will monitor how they move their eyes.
Right Handed
Monolingual
Minimum High School Education or GED
Normal or corrected to normal vision (20/20, not color blind)
Left Handed
<18 years old
speaking more than 1 language
less than 12 years education and no GED
Can Twitter be the platform that leads to the rise of ’Crisis Reporters’?
Citizen journalism refers to production of journalistic content by ordinary citizens such as ‘current affairs-based blogging, photo and video sharing, and posting eyewitness commentary on current events’. In our study we try to redefine ‘citizen journalism’ to ‘crisis reporting’ that includes sharing updates and actionable news using Twitter. To this end we wish to propose a study where we interview people to understand the feasibility of the same. In addition, as supporting data, we would use historical data from Twitter. This would be done keeping in mind a particular event which would be the Texas snowstorm.
Present in Texas during the snowstorm
Have an active Twitter account
Not present in Texas during the snowstorm
Do not have an active Twitter account
Understanding Shooter Dynamics with VR
We are trying to characterize the movement of a shooter in a VR environment.
The study consists of one visit lasting approximately 30-40 minutes: 10 minutes for VR setup, 15 minutes for simulated test, and 5-15 minutes for post-experiment survey. During the simulated test, participants will be asked to move around in the environment and shoot NPCs.
$10
Male.
Not prone to nausea when experiencing VR.
Do not identify as male.
Prone to nausea when experiencing VR.
Habitual Diet and Avocado Trial
This study aims to evaluate the effect of providing one avocado per day for consumption over a six month period on established health parameters, including visceral adiposity, hepatic lipid content, markers of metabolic syndrome and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), compared to habitual diet.The primary aim of this study is to determine whether providing one avocado per day for consumption for six months will produce a greater decrease in visceral adiposity as measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in Americans with an increased waist circumference as compared to habitual diet.
not currently eating >2 avocados per month
increased waist circumference (35+ inches for women, 40+ inches for men)
not willing to undergo MRI scans
unstable medical conditions
lost/gained 10 or more pounds in past year
The Neural Basis of Pattern Learning in Human Adults
This research investigates how the human adult brain exploits patterns and regularities in the environment to learn.
Minimum High School education
Right-handed
Normal or corrected-to-normal vision/hearing
Fluent in English
Individuals taking medications that affect the brain or blood flow
Individuals greater than 300 lbs
Individuals who are claustrophobic
Individuals with contraindications to MRI scanning such as an implanted device
Using Serious Game Technology to Improve Social Skills in Autism
The goal of this study is to help ASD adolescents improve social skills during face-to-face interactions. We have designed an immersive computer game to help them learn these skills in a fun way. Adolescents play the game at home 3 times a week for 3 months on a computer that we give you. In order to see how well the game is working to teach them, we have to test it against another game that is similar but teaches other skills. We measure your adolescent’s attention in the lab through computer games and by measuring their eye movements. We invite you to answer questions about their social behavior. We are flexible in how we work with families to accommodate busy schedules (e.g., weekend appointments).Families come to Penn State for three visits. We pay for all travel expenses (mileage, toll, hotel). Families are also compensated up to $450 for their time.
Pending full eligibility, there are 3 in-person visits to the lab spaced 3 months apart from each other. Completing the entire procedure will take slightly more than 6 months. Between the first and second visit, participants will play a version of our game at home 3 times a week for 3 months.
$440 (one remote visit, three in-person visits, and at-home gameplay time)
autism spectrum disorder
corrected vision and hearing at normal levels
can speak in full sentences
stable internet connection in the home
non-native English speaker
Campus Environments and Student Health
The purpose of this study is to learn about the relationship between the campus environment and students’ health. It involves a survey consisting questions about campus-related activities, COVID-19, physical activity and health, environmental perceptions, and demographic information.
There will be an online survey that will take about 20-30 minutes. No need to meet in-person.
At least 18 years old or older
Foot mechanics during gait with load carriage and toe elevation
This experimental study will investigate foot joint function during walking and running and/or hopping and performing heel raises. Participants will walk and run and/or complete heel raises with mass added to their body and will walk and run and/or hop with a plastic wedge secured to the underside of their toes.
Participants will walk and run and/or complete heel raises with mass added to their body and will walk and run and/or hop with a plastic wedge secured to the underside of their toes.
Run > 10 kilometers/week for past 6 months
If participant does not fit running criteria: Lifted weights of at least one bodyweight using barbell >= 2x/week for past 6 months
Experienced pain with walking, running, or (if applicable) weightlifting in past 6 months
Have had plantar fasciitis
Have osteoarthritis in lower limb
Have had diabetes 1 or 2
Understanding Prenatal Hydration Behaviors
To examine women’s self-reported pregnancy hydration behaviors, especially during a global pandemic. This study will also examine other lifestyle behaviors (e.g., weight gain, exercise, eating behaviors, sleep, pain management). It is hypothesized that hydration behaviors will decrease due to lifestyle changes related to the pandemic. Secondary outcomes will also be influenced by hydration behaviors and pandemic lifestyle changes.
Women
18-45
English speaking
Men
Younger than 18
Non-English speaking