Search Results Within Category "Education"
Athletes' Experiences in Sport
In this study, we are interested in learning about how male athletes think about and understand the experience and expression of emotion in competitive sports.
Competitive athlete
Penn State student
18+ years
Non-athlete
Non-student
Under 18 years
How urban infrastructure fosters romantic relationships
The primary endpoint of this study is to identify the contributing factors in development of romantic relationships through an analysis of the real-life experiences of Penn state couples that we collect in our surveys. Our focus is to identify the spatial factors in different scales as they relate to two-person relationships. The results of this study informs architects, planners, and administrators of practical strategies to generate friendly spaces in college towns.
Live in State College area
Has visited at least 5 places with their romantic partner(s) in State College
have never engaged in a romantic relationship
The Impact of Menstrual Cup Distribution Programming on College Student Perpetuation of Period Stigma
This is a social sciences study to analyze the effect of menstrual cup introduction through the "CampusCup" free menstrual cup distribution program on the tendency of college students to perpetuate period stigma. A survey will be conducted across samples of students who participated in the CampusCup program, students who use menstrual cups independent of the CampusCup program, and students who have never used menstrual cups. The survey will address motivations behind menstrual cup usage and personal attitudes towards periods. The study seeks to investigate relationships between menstrual cup usage & CampusCup participation and impacts on community attitudes towards menstruation.
At least 18 years of age
Has experienced a menstrual period in the last calendar year
Less than 18 year of age
Has not experienced a menstrual period in the last calendar year
Reducing Perception Error in Diagnostic Radiology
This research is being done to find out the relationship between an individual’s mental state and how well they perform visual-perceptual tasks. This will allow us to understand the brain processes related to errors in image perception, to understand how mental states impact medical image interpretation. Overall, this research will help us develop training programs to reduce the amount of perceptual errors in diagnosing images
Healthy adults, with college or advanced degree
Normal or corrected to normal vision
Pregnant or lactating
Presence of pacemaker, aneurysm clips, or any metal in the body
A history of welding or grinding
Claustraphobia
Effects of fasting on blood protein levels
Up to 50 older adults (age 60+ years) will participate in a two-visit CRC study with blood sampling (40 ml per visit) occurring before and after a breakfast meal. Specifically, there will be four (10 ml) blood draws during each of the visits, with each blood draw timed one hour apart (T1 to T4). The two visits (short- and long-fasting) will be randomly assigned and counterbalanced for the order in which they occur and will occur at least a week apart. During the short-fasting visit, participants will arrive fasting and be given breakfast after the second blood draw (T2). During the long-fasting visit, participants will arrive fasting and be given breakfast after the fourth blood draw (T4). Aside from blood draws, and vitals obtained at the start of each visit, participants will be seated comfortably in a chair in a small room by themselves. They will be checked upon periodically to ensure they are not falling asleep, they are comfortable, etc. They will also be given a small packet of written questionnaires to complete after T1 and after T3 (i.e., after the 1st and 3rd blood draws). Each visit will be between 3.5 and 4 hours.
There will be two in-person visits both will include four blood draws.
$100 total
Fluent in English
Vaccinated for COVID-19
Having current severe psychiatric symptoms that interfere with testing
Alcohol or substance abuse, chronic medicinal use of opioids, glucocorticoids, anti-inflammatories, or active cancer treatment in the last 12 months
Examine Three Different Functional Analysis Methods Using Innovative Measurements to Identify Their Properties
This study compares three different functional analysis methods using the same measurements to find the better method. Each participant will be assigned one method to produce a diagram using the given method and one online survey after the in-person experiment. Each participant will be given detailed instructions and information regarding the method to ensure there are no knowledge gaps.
For the experiment, participants will be assigned to a group of four people from different engineering subfields to evaluate a product using one of three functional analysis methods. Each group will be randomly assigned a product to evaluate and a functional analysis method to use. After the experiment, each participant will be asked to complete an online survey asking for their experiences and thoughts.
Chemical Engieering
Electrical Engineering
Industrial Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Sophmore
A comparison of VR and MR in Human-ECA interaction
We are conducting this study to investigate whether different platforms of immersive technology influence the experiences of users when interacting with an embodied conversational agent. We are particularly interested in studying the effects of platform on users’ feelings of presence and social presence when comparing virtual and mixed reality environments.
English speaking
Social Values for Bird Conservation in PA
The purpose of this study is to examine public attitudes and willingness to pay for bird conversation activities on private forest lands.
Pictorial Influence on Sentence Comprehension
This behavioral study will examine the influence of pictorial primes on general knowledge questions. A participant will be shown a cartoon-type picture prior to the presentation of a question. They will be asked to answer the question verbally. This study aims to determine the influence of pictorial primes on memory recall and retrieval.
Must be a native English speaker
Not a native English speaker
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
CO-CREATION OF DIGITAL TOOLKITS FOR ENHANCING THE RESILIENCE OF LOW-INCOME HOUSING IN SELECTED LOCATIONS IN FLORIDA AND PENNSYLVANIA
This study aims to assess engineering design solutions for sustainable, low-cost housing which can be able to withstand extreme heat and flooding disasters. The information will be used in digital toolkits and platforms to provide recommendations to residents in this area to learn the options they can use to make their housing resilient to extreme events and how they can access the information to guide them in the creation of resilient, sustainable and affordable houses in flood and extreme heat prone areas.
The study will interview the subject matter experts for a maximum of one hour to obtain their experiential input on engineering design recommendations in Flood and extreme heat-prone areas in Florida and Pennsylvania. The interview will be on zoom
All genders
Only Subject matter experts working with academic institution, Non-profit organizations and networks, government and private sectors, research centers and are in the field of housing, natural disasters, climate change adaptation and humanitarian response
Adults who are not subject matter experts of housing, natural disasters, climate change adaptation and humanitarian response
Any adult who qualifies for the inclusion criteria but does not wish to take part in the study
Lexical and sentence processing in novice L2 learners: Psycholinguistic and neurocognitive investigations
We are studying how children and adults learn second languages in the classroom. To do this, we ask children and adults to read words or sentences in English and in Spanish while we record brainwaves using noninvasive sensors. The participant wears a cap that looks like a swimmers cap with the sensors attached to it.
Middle school students enrolled in first year Spanish
Monolingual English speaker
Right-handed
Normal or corrected-to-normal vision
History of neurological disorders
Uncorrected vision
Understanding University Students' Daily Interaction with ChatGPT through the Lens of Self-Determination Theory
This study aims to learn about how university students interact with ChatGPT and how ChatGPT's support of autonomy, competence, and relatedness could either help or hinder students' ability to learn. We will interview students to understand how ChatGPT supports student learning and identify any challenges that may arise.
There will be a 60-minute interview.
$10
Use ChatGPT for their daily lives
Over 18 years old
Speak English
Students from non-EU countries
Under 18 years old
Do not use ChatGPT for their daily lives
Non-english speaker
Students from EU countries
Driver Training on the Advanced Driving Assistant System
This research aims to study the training knowledge that is essential for drivers to use Advanced Driving Assistant Systems safely and properly and identify the optimal training approaches.
If you participate in the first experiment, you will receive training of the in-vehicle system via videos and manuals, complete a driving task on the driving simulator, and answer questions from questionnaires. If you participate in the second experiment, there will be two visits. In the first visit, you will receive training via watching and interacting with online videos, watching an experimenter operating ADAS at the test track, or practicing the functions of ADAS in a vehicle at the test track. The functions in the training include adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, and Highway Driving Assist. In the second visit, you will complete a driving task on the driving simulator and answer questions from questionnaires.
$30 for experiment1 and $60 for experiment 2
Being fluent in English
Have a valid driver license for at least one year
have normal vision or corrected vision only wearing contact lenses
Study Driver Characteristics in Mixed Traffic with a Driving Simulator
This is a driving simulator behavioral study. This study aims to investigate drivers' subjective feelings and driving performance in mixed traffic shared by automated vehicles and human-driven vehicles.
This study aims to investigate the effects of drivers’ driving style and automated vehicle penetration rate on drivers’ subjective feelings and driving performance in mixed traffic shared by automated vehicles and human-driven vehicles. There will be one in-person visit for the experiment. This experiment involves driving on a driving simulator and filling out several questionnaires.
$15/hour
Have a valid US driver license for at least one year
Have normal vision or corrected vision only wearing contact lenses
Second Language Learners’ Language Development in Different Modes: Focusing on Complexity, Accuracy, and Fluency
The current study aims to investigate the development of English as a Second Language (ESL) learners' language skills over time, focusing on the interplay between the mode of production (i.e., speech versus written mode) and linguistic features related to complexity, accuracy, and fluency. To address this question, the study will collect spoken and written data from ESL learners in the U.S. at five measurement points throughout an academic year (FA23 to SP24), analyzing their production data using various complexity, accuracy, and fluency measures. The objective is to contribute to the existing body of second language (L2) development research by examining whether the interaction among time, production mode, and proficiency, as well as the varying relationships among the measures, significantly influence the observed outcomes.
Over the course of an academic year (FA23 to SP24), participants will attend five in-person visits, spaced at 7-week intervals. During each visit, they will be asked to write an essay for 20 minutes and deliver a 5-minute spoken monologue in response to prompts similar to those found in the TOEFL speaking section.
$75 ($15 per visit)
non-native English speakers
first-year undergraduate students or students in Intensive English Communication Program
native English speakers
not living in the US
Drawing and Anxiety Study Phase 2
This study will test the efficacy of novel guided drawing activities for reducing anxiety in young adults
For this study, your teen will be asked to in a 90 minute in-person lab visit. Cardiac data will be recorded as your teen engages in a drawing activity. Your teen will also answer questionnaires during the visit and again approximately one week later, online via Qualtrics. This final questionnaire will take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
$25
Youth must be able to speak, understand and read English.
2.Youth who cannot speak, understand, and read English.
The association between perceived parenting styles, intolerance of uncertainty, and anxiety among young adults
This study aims to understand the association between young adults' perceived parenting, intolerance of uncertainty, and trait anxiety. Participant will be asked to complete a questionnaire that aims to answer the environment and parenting beliefs around which they were brought up, and if they face stressors and anxieties associated with them. This is a correlational study
Geographical location: USA
All genders
All ethnicities
Individuals over 34 years
Individuals residing outside USA
Factors Influencing the Decision to Report Sexual Violence on Campus
Research project to understand why students do or do not choose to report sexual assault exposure to police or university officials.
One interview via video conferencing or in person.Optional follow up interview via video conferencing.
$35 for initial interviews; $12 for follow ups
experienced unwanted sex, assault, or harassment during higher education study
currently in undergraduate or graduate program
recently graduated, transferred, or pausing higher education program
Racial background is Black, Afro-Latina, Afro-Indigenous, Black Multiracial
How Immigration Looks to America: Perspectives of the Photographic Portrayals of Immigrants in News Photographs
This study will involve surveying college students regarding their perceptions about how immigrants are portrayed in news media.
Dynamic Assessment of Vocabulary Learning Strategies
To provide better understanding of Chinese students' vocabulary learning Strategies and help develop better learning strategies
Complete seven sessions, which may take approximately 20-30 minutes of your time per session.Read several English short texts and identify meanings of target words.Possibly participate in a virtual interview that will be scheduled at your convenience.
Adult English learners
Currently enrolled in a college or university
Not Chinese
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
Multidisciplinary Collaboration as a Bridge to the Ethical Collection of Patient-level Data on Social Determinants of Health (SDoH)
The purpose of this study is to create a tool that will evaluate a patients social determinants of health, which is the environment in which someone is born, works and lives. This tool could provide information to physicians that could help the patient avoid negative health outcomes.
Patient at Penn State Health OR Community Member
Can read and write in English
prisoner
Brain Injury
Applying Social cognitive theories of learning to Adaptive Learning
In this work, we wish to explore how social learning can be promoted in the case of adaptive learning.
Immersive Virtual Reality Storm Surge: Scale and Risk Perception
Evaluating if an immersive virtual reality experience of storm surge flooding gives people an understanding of the scale of the flooding and increases their risk perception of such flooding compared to a non-immersive desktop experience.
English-speaking
One Penn State : Connecting a Learning Community of Geographically Diverse Students
The community of remote learners is on the rise. With the trends of application and skill based knowledge, more and more people are migrating to the learn while you work paradigm. People value flexibility and comfort increasingly. Penn State is one of the few Universities propagating the cause of spreading knowledge via all modalities. The 33,302 students spread across its 19 commonwealth campuses are further a testimony to the prevalent trends. It is important that all these students receive an integrated and cohesive student experience. This also covers the need for the students to feel a sense of social belongingness. The work will focus on bringing together the Penn State community to achieve the true essence of it’s chant WeAre!
Must be a student of Penn State
Communicating Queer Chinese Identities: A Qualitative Investigation of the Visibility and Intelligibility of Transnational Queer Women in the United States
In today’s climate of anti-Asian hate, we believe that it is important to uncover different aspects of what “being Chinese” could look like. To this end, we are looking for individuals who self-identify as ethnically Chinese, woman, and a member of the LGBTQIA+ community to participate in a one-time 90-minute online interview to learn about what they do in their regular, everyday life to try to show or tell others about who they are. As part of the study, we will ask interviewees to share some visual images (e.g., photos, drawings, etc.) that they own as a way of elaborating on the ways that they communicate their self-identity in everyday life.
Chinese ethnicity
Woman
Non-woman
Not Chinese ethnicity
The Biomechanics of Golf Performance
The purpose of this study is to determine what golf equipment and swing characteristics best predict playing ability in a population of golfers. Golfers will hit shots with various clubs while the movement of their body, the club, and the ball are tracked.
Participants will come to the Penn State Golf Teaching and Research Center or the Penn State Golf Courses and hit golf shots using their driver, 7 iron, and putter. A golf monitor will be used to track the ball trajectory. The movements of participant's body, club, and ball will be measured in three-dimensions as they swing. Participants will receive brief feedback from a Class-A PGA Professional upon completion.
Participants will receive brief feedback from a Class-A PGA Professional upon completion.
Between ages of 18-75
Physically able to play a full round of golf (i.e., 18 holes)
Not between ages of 18-75
Not physically able to play a full round of golf (i.e., 18 holes)
Livestreaming, Content Creation, and Playing and Learning Online
This study surveys how different viewers, livestreamers and content creators learn and engage online. We are recruiting people who view or create content on livestreaming platforms such as Twitch, YouTube or Mixer (past or present). This study involves filling out a survey which should take 15-20 minutes to complete. Participants will be entered into a drawing to win one of 20 $75 e-gift cards for their participation.
people who watch livestreams
aged 13 or older (if not yet legally adults, with parental/guardian permission)
online content creators
gamers or esports viewers
cannot read, communicate or provide consent in English
does not livestream or watch livestreams or create content online
if a minor, does not have parental/legal guardian permission
Examining views associated with physical exercise and its connection to diet, social connectivity, and stress reduction: Online Focus Groups
The primary objective of this study is to examine, via online focus groups, the perceptions that are held by potentially-eligible subjects in the PSH DPP program in regard to the importance of physical exercise, particularly within the context of diet, social connectivity, and stress reduction. These perspectives will then be used to help develop, test, and refine additional motivational text messages that can be used in a text messaging intervention. Participants will receive a $25.00 gift card.
Body Mass Index ≥25 kg/m2 (≥23 kg/m2 if Asian)
Have no previous diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 diabetes
Fluent in English
Body Mass Index <25 kg/m2 (<23 kg/m2if Asian)
Previous diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 diabetes
Not fluent in English