February 5, 2010
Advertisements for Research Assistant (RA) Positions
in the Psychology Department
other than the NSERC UG Research Award Positions
(e.g., Volunteer, Paid, and Psych 264/464 Positions)
TO STUDENTS:
Why is research experience important for undergraduate students? Click here for details.
At least 50 students per term, particularly in the Fall and Winter terms, serve as volunteer research assistants (RA) in the Psychology Department. These positions typically involve a commitment of 3-5 hours per week. Year 2 is not too early for such a position.
Approximately 60 students per year receive academic credit for being a volunteer research assistant (refer to Psych 264/464). These positions involve a commitment of 8 hours per week for 13 weeks. Enrolment in Psych 264 or 464 (Research Apprenticeship Courses) requires approval beforehand by the course supervisor and the Undergraduate Chairman in the Psychology Department. Click here for further details about these courses and the course application form.
Forty to 60 students per term (typically 3rd and 4th year students) are paid research assistants in our department.
Most research assistant positions in the department are not advertised so networking is critical for securing such a position!
Speak to individual faculty members about the opportunities that are available in their labs (also ask for referrals). Click here for the contact information and research interests of faculty members in our department. Click here for tips on approaching faculty members for research positions.
Also ask graduate students in the department (e.g., your teaching assistants for courses) if they are aware of any research opportunities.
TO FACULTY MEMBERS AND GRADUATE STUDENTS:
If you are looking for research assistants (volunteer, paid, or Psych 264 or 464 students) for the current or next school term, please submit the details to Theresa as soon as possible for posting on this page. We receive many inquiries from students looking for research positions in the department so this is a very good way to advertise any opportunities in your lab.
CURRENT POSTINGS
Volunteer RA - Winter 2010
Contact: Amanda Wudarzewski (awudarze@uwaterloo.ca)
Research areas: Social Psychology - stereotyping and prejudice
Duties: Recruiting participants and running studies, preparing study materials, data collection and management
Qualifications: Reliable, professional, and motivated student who can work independently, well organized with good communication skills.
Students who are interested in psychological research are preferred.
Past research experience and computer skills are an asset but not required.
Time commitment: approximately 8-10 hours a week
How to apply: Please send an e-mail with a resume and unofficial transcript to Amanda Wudarzewski at awudarze@uwaterloo.ca
Volunteer RAs (2 positions) - Winter 2010
Clinical Psychology
Dr. David Moscovitch & Colleen Merrifield (graduate student)
Research Area: We are interested in understanding the development, persistence and treatment of anxiety disorders. In this study, we are examining how people with social anxiety experience embarrassment and shame. Previous research suggests that, although closely related, embarrassment and shame are distinct emotions that individuals are able to distinguish between. No research to date has examined how these emotions are experienced by individuals with social anxiety. This is an important question because embarrassment is purported to be the fundamental symptom of Social Anxiety Disorder.
Duties: We are looking for 2 Research Assistants (RAs) to assist in running experiments using psychophysiological equipment (heart rate monitor, and sensors for recording facial blushing and galvanic skin response). RAs will also be responsible for keeping track of and preparing study materials and entering data. Depending on the skill and interest of the RA, there are may be additional research opportunities (eg. data analyses, future research projects).
Qualifications: We are looking for RAs who have a strong academic background with a keen interest in clinical psychology and research. For this project, it is especially important that applicants have excellent interpersonal skills. In addition, applicants should be organized, reliable, and work well both independently and as part of a research team.
Time Commitment: Approximately 8-10 hours per week.
How to apply: Please submit: (1) Curriculum Vitae or Resume and (2) Unofficial transcript (e.g., printout from Quest pasted into a word document); and, (3) a brief description of how you meet the qualifications, your research interests, and reasons for wanting to volunteer in our lab. Please send these three documents, along with any questions, to clmerrif@uwaterloo.ca with the subject heading “RA position – Moscovitch lab”.
Paid Video Coder Needed Immediately (posted 1 Dec 09)
The Adair Lab in the Psychology Department is looking for a research assistant to work as a video coder in the month of December for 20-25 hr/wk.
Job Description:
Watch videos and apply codes according to a coding scheme.
After training in the lab, the coder can work from home.
Qualifications:
- female
- East Asian or North American cultural background
- attention to details
- reliable and motivated
- preferably available in all weeks of December (including the week of Christmas)
Pay rate: $11/hr
If you are interested, please contact the researcher: Zhaleh Semnani
Volunteer RAs or Psych 264 or 464 positions - Winter 2010
Fernandes Lab
Contact: Dr. Myra Fernandes (mafernan@uwaterloo.ca)
Research areas: memory, emotion, aging
Duties: Participant recruitment and running, data collection, data coding. Phone contact with Senior citizens. Involvement in data analysis is optional.
Volunteer RA Qualifications: Reliable student motivated to work in a team setting; well organized with good communication skills. Computer skills are an asset.
How to apply: Send email with resume and unofficial transcript to Dr. Fernandes mafernan@uwaterloo.ca
Volunteer RAs - Winter 2010
Social and Health Psychology
Dr. Geoffrey T. Fong & Omid Fotuhi (graduate student)
Research Area: Social psychology/Health psychology: The health psychology lab will be conducting research on smoking behaviour and perceptions of smoking through a series of online studies, in-lab experiments, and community sample studies. Current areas of interest include normative beliefs about smokers in a university population, relationship satisfaction on perceptions of smoking, depression and smoking, and the effectiveness of recent smoking policies. Students interested in Social Psychology and Health Psychology will have the opportunity to work with graduate students on innovative research projects in the tobacco control field. This allows students to be deeply involved in a project and gain a solid understanding of process of designing and conducting a study.
Duties: We are looking for Research Assistants to assist in recruiting and contacting research participants; running experiments; HTML programming; managing web-based studies; coding and entering data; preparing materials for studies; and conducting or organizing literature research. RAs will meet with the graduate students on a regular basis to discuss the progress of the study, and collaborate in the design of future studies. An average of 5 to 10 hours a week can be expected. Evenings or weekends are also possible, in case weekdays are not feasible.
Qualifications: The ideal candidate will be well organized, have an interest in psychological research, able to work independently, and keen to learn. Past research experience and computer skills are preferred but not required.
How to apply: Please submit: (1) Resume; (2) Unofficial transcript (e.g., printout from Quest pasted into a word document); and, (3) a cover letter. Please send these three documents, along with any questions, to ofotuhi@artsmail.uwaterloo.ca, or call 519-496-4525.
Volunteer RA - Winter 2010
Dr. Jonathan Fugelsang
Contact: Erin Maloney (eamalone@uwaterloo.ca)
Research areas: Cognitive Psychology – mathematics anxiety, numerical processing
Duties: Recruiting participants (students), preparing materials, running experiments, and entering data. Approximately 10 hours per week. There are more hours available if you are interested.
Qualifications: We are looking for a reliable, organized and self-motivated student who is interested in learning about research in psychology, particularly about numerical cognition. Basic computer skills are mandatory. Previous research experience is an asset but not required.
How to apply: Send an email containing a short paragraph explaining why you are interested in volunteering in this particular lab to Erin Maloney (eamalone@uwaterloo.ca).
Volunteer RA - Winter & Spring 2010
Dr. Jennifer La Guardia & Dr. Erik Woody
Contact: Jennifer Boyd, Graduate Student (jboyd@uwaterloo.ca)
Research area: Clinical Psychology – Exercise Motivation
Study Description: RAs are needed to assist with a study of exercise and motivation. This study examines the role of social interaction on motivation to persist in an exercise program. Participants in this study complete 12 supervised exercise sessions in a one-month period, and complete brief questionnaires at each session.
Duties: Undergraduate research assistants are needed to be involved in all aspects of administering this study, including recruitment, phone screening, administering questionnaires, supervising the exercise sessions, and data entry. This study will be administered at the Columbia Ice Fields (CIF) fitness facility. RAs will be trained in the study procedures before the study begins. Involvement in this study will provide an excellent research experience for those considering graduate school in psychology and other health-related fields.
Time commitment: Approximately 10 hours per week. RAs should be available between the hours of 8 am - noon at least two days per week as exercise sessions will be held during these hours.
Qualifications: We are looking for highly motivated, energetic, and reliable students to assist with this project. Strong organizational and time-management skills are also necessary. Previous research experience is an asset but not a requirement.
How to apply: Please send an email with your resume to Jennifer Boyd at jboyd@uwaterloo.ca.
Volunteer RAs (5 positions) - Winter 2010
Dr. Uzma Rehman
Contact: Rebecca Wells (remwells@uwaterloo.ca)
Research area: Clinical Psychology – Romantic Relationships
Duties: Undergraduate research assistants are needed to run couples from the community through a study examining spousal support. The RAs will be required to travel to participants' homes (transportation provided) with the student investigator (Rebecca Wells). Responsibilities include assisting in the set up of recording equipment, providing instructions and explaining tasks to the couple, and assisting the couple in choosing topics for their discussions.
The RAs will be extensively trained in these procedures before the study begins. Involvement in this study will provide excellent research experience for those considering graduate school in psychology. Specifically you will gain experience working directly with participants and in discussing sensitive issues. In addition you will develop knowledge of the data collection process.
Time commitment: Approximately 5-10 hours per week on evenings and Saturdays.
Qualifications: Successful RAs will have the ability to interact with participants in a professional manner. Previous research experience is an asset but is not required.
How to apply: Please send an email with your resume, an unofficial transcript, and the lab application form to remwells@uwaterloo.ca
