We use cookies on this site to enhance your experience.
By selecting “Accept” and continuing to use this website, you consent to the use of cookies.
Psychology Research Experience Program
The Psychology Research Experience Program (PREP) offers you the opportunity to earn course credit towards your grade by participating in psychology research studies. The program was developed for two reasons:
- Professors and graduate students do more than teach courses. They conduct research studies, and rely on students, such as yourselves, to take part in those studies.
- It is a great way for students to experience what it’s like to be a participant in research studies, to learn about how research is carried out, and earn some marks towards the course at the same time.
If your course includes a PREP component, check your course syllabus to see what percentage of your grade you can earn, and whether this is a required part of the course or if it counts as an optional bonus credit.
The deadline to participate in studies for PREP is the official last day of class for the term, December 9, 2026. We recommend that you get started early – don’t leave it to the end of term or you may miss out on opportunities.
Information for PREP Participants
There are two types of studies, online and lab studies. The credits work differently for each of these studies.
Lab Studies
For participating in lab studies, you will earn a half credit (0.5 credits) for every half hour of participation. For example, you will earn 1.0 credit for an hour-long study.
You earn more credits for participating in lab studies because many studies cannot be conducted online, so this provides extra incentive for you to participate in lab studies.
Online Studies
For participating in online studies you will earn a quarter credit (0.25) for every half hour of participation. For example, you will earn 0.5 credits for an hour-long study.
PS101 and PS102 Students
For the PS101/102 Waterloo campus courses, you are limited to 2.0 credits of participation in online studies. That is, you must earn at least 1.0 of your credits from in person participation. Students taking PS101 or PS102 VA, BR or MC have no limit to online credits. Students in upper year courses also have no online credit limits. Note: Credits may not be updated right away.
More than one PREP course?
Credits are earned separately for each course. So, if you have two classes that each require three PREP credits, then you need to earn a total of six PREP credits. Earned credits cannot be used for more than one course.
The PREP teaching assistants (TA) will issue announcements in two ways:
- Your Laurier email address, which is connected to the PREP system.
- The Announcement box on the login page of the PREP website. Pay attention throughout the term because PREP TAs post important information to this box from time to time (e.g. the date that the PREP pool is closing for the term).
- Go to the PREP website.
- Enter your user ID and password. Your user ID is your student number. If it is your first time logging in, check your MyLaurier email account for a randomly generated password that was sent to you by PREP at the beginning of the term. If you have any trouble signing in, email the PREP TAs at prep@wlu.ca.
- Change your password. Click “My Profile” in the top menu.
- Click “Studies” for a list of studies you can participate in. Read the study descriptions to find a study you are interested in.
- Click the study link and select the time slot you want. If none of the time slots work for you, email the researcher.
- To view any studies you have signed up for, or to cancel any studies that you have signed up for, click “My Schedule and Credits.” .
- Note: If you are cancelling a study that you have signed up for, you must do so more than 24 hours prior to the start of the study, otherwise you will be penalized (see "Participating in Studies")
Each term, the first time you log into the PREP system, you will be asked to fill out a consent form to participate in PREP. Read this consent form carefully. The system will refer to this as the prescreen and it will appear in your account as a completed prescreen.
Note: If you choose to decline participating in PREP after reading the consent form, you will not be able to participate in studies this term. See the "Alternative Assignment" option to earn your PREP credits.
Online studies are done on your own personal computer. You will be given the study link after signing up for the study. Ensure that you complete the online study before the study’s participation deadline.
For lab studies, make sure that you arrive at the PREP waiting area on time. It is your responsibility to be at the waiting area on time, otherwise the researcher will record that you had an “unexcused no-show”. If you accumulate two unexcused no-shows, you are no longer allowed to sign up for any PREP studies. You will, however, be able to keep any prior earned credits.
- On the Waterloo campus there is generally ONE waiting area, unless otherwise stated in the study posting. This is the PREP waiting area in front of the Psychology Main office (N2006), on the second floor of the Science Building. Please remain in the waiting area until the researcher comes to get you, without inquiring at the office window (office staff do not have information about PREP studies). If there is a problem, send an email to the researcher or to PREP@wlu.ca.
- On the Brantford or Milton campus, go to the location indicated when you sign up for the study.
Study Cancellations
In order to avoid getting an “unexcused no-show,” cancel any study 24 hours prior to the start of the study through the PREP website. If you must cancel with less than 24 hours before your scheduled timeslot, you must contact the researcher via their email listed in the study information.
If you have missed a study (without cancelling it beforehand) due to a medical or personal emergency, email the researcher of the study first as they are in charge of giving out credits. If the issue remains unresolved after speaking with the researcher then you may email the PREP TAs at prep@wlu.ca. Similarly, if you have any questions regarding a specific study, email the researcher.
If you have general questions about the PREP system or your account, email prep@wlu.ca. You should never email your professor about any PREP system issues.
In Fall and Winter terms, you can complete a Mass Testing questionnaire compiled by many researchers in the department. Log into PREP to find the "Psychology Mass Testing Questionnaire" listed under the "Studies" list.
Completing this questionnaire is highly recommended as this allows you to become eligible for additional future studies. The questionnaire takes less than 60 minutes and you are granted 0.5 credits towards your online credits when you complete it. You must do the entire questionnaire in one sitting as you cannot resume once you have stopped.
There is a separate mass testing questionnaire for each Fall and Winter semester. Your answers or credits from previous semester do not roll over to the next semester. It is recommended that you do the questionnaire each semester to be eligible for studies in that specific semester and to earn 0.5 credits towards your online credits during the semester you complete the questionnaire.
As an alternative to participating in studies, you can earn credits by writing short critical reviews of journal articles. The reviews are graded on a pass or fail basis and each critical review receives the same credit as participating in a one-hour in-lab study. Students may choose to do critical reviews for all or a portion of their PREP credits.
Guidelines and a list of acceptable journal articles to review are available in the assignment instructions below.
Note that the deadline for submitting critical reviews is the same as the deadline for participating in studies (i.e. last day of class for the term).
To ensure that you get your PREP grades, your earned credits must be accurate in your account. Check all of the following throughout the term, but especially by the day after the term ends:
Check That Your Course(s) and Section(s) are Correctly Added in Your Account
- Click “My Profile / Go to Courses(s).”
- If necessary, click “change courses” to modify or add your course(s).
Check That All Completed Studies Appear
- Click “My Schedule/Credits” and review.
- Researchers may take up to a week to grant credits, but all credits should be granted the day after the term ends.
- If more than one week has passed or the study is running into the PREP deadline, contact the researcher with a friendly reminder to add the credit for you.
Check That Your Studies are Assigned to the Correct Course
- Click “My Schedule/Credits” and review.
- If studies are unassigned or assigned to the incorrect course, click “reassign” and select the correct course(s).
- If studies are left unassigned or wrongly assigned, you risk not getting the credit towards your grade! Credits cannot be used for more than one course.
Q. How do I start?
A. To see what studies are available and to sign-up, you must visit the PREP website. Alternatively, you can access the PREP website from this webpage by clicking the PREP Website link above (at the top right-hand side).
Q. How do I log into my PREP account?
A. In the center of the PREP webpage is a box labelled “Announcement” under “First time logging in?” When you are logging in for the first time, follow the instructions in this box carefully.
Q. How do I know if I can log into PREP?
A. Your account information will already be in the system so you already have a User ID and Password (PREP obtains the information from the registrar’s office before the term begins).
Q. How do I know if there are any PREP announcements?
A. The PREP TAs will communicate announcements in two ways. The first is through email. Your WLU email address is connected to the PREP system, if there are any important messages they will be emailed to your Laurier email address. The second is through the Announcement box on the login page of the PREP website. Please pay attention to this box throughout the term because the PREP TAs will post important information from time to time (e.g., the date that the PREP pool is closing for the term).
Q. What are the different kinds of studies that I can participate in?
A. Generally, there are two different kinds of studies. The first is an “on-campus” or “in-lab” study, the second is an “online” study. For in-lab studies, you must schedule a specific session using the PREP system. On the day of the study, you would show up at the scheduled time and wait in the appropriate waiting area for the researcher to come and call your name. In-lab studies can last between 20 minutes and several hours. For online studies, generally you will be taken to the study webpage as soon as you sign up. Online studies can be completed at any computer with internet access (i.e., at home or on campus).
Q. What is Psychology Mass Testing Questionnaire and how can I complete it?
A. The Psychology Mass Testing Questionnaire is an online study available in Fall and Winter terms that could make you eligible for additional studies. Completing this questionnaire is highly recommended as this allows you to become eligible for additional future studies. The questionnaire takes less than 60 minutes and you will be granted 0.5 credits towards your online credits for completing this questionnaire. You must do the entire questionnaire in one sitting, as you cannot resume once you have stopped.
Q. How many credits do I get for a study?
A. That depends on the kind of study. For doing in-lab studies, you would receive .5 credits for every 1⁄2 hour. For doing online studies, you would receive .25 credits for every 1⁄2 hour.
Q. How do I sign up for a study?
A. To sign up for studies, you would log onto the PREP website and click on “Studies.” You will see a list of available studies. You can read what the study is about by clicking on the study title. If you are interested in participating, click on “Timeslots Available.” At the bottom of the screen, click on “View Time Slots for This Study.” When you see a date and time for a timeslot that meets your schedule, click on “Sign-Up.” You should then see a “Sign-Up Successful” system message at the top of the screen. You can verify by clicking on “My Schedule/Credits.”
Q. What happens if I’m not interested in any of the studies currently offered?
A. Keep checking the PREP website. New studies are being added throughout the term. However, don’t wait too long because studies are first come first serve. Each study has a total number of required participants it needs to be finished and once it reaches that total, the study will no longer be available.
Q. I signed up for an in-lab study and I have to meet the researcher, where do I go?
A. On the Waterloo Campus, there is generally one main PREP waiting area, and that’s where the researcher will come to meet you. The waiting area is in front of the Psychology Main Office (N2006), which is located at the second floor of the Science Building, close to the elevator. Always take as much information as you can with you to each study session (e.g., the study name, the researcher’s name, the time and location). However, please note there may be studies that require an alternative meet-up spot (example: Northdale campus (campus maps), certain lecture hall on campus, etc.), but this will be clearly stated in the study description.
On the Brantford campus, go to the location indicated when you sign up for the study.
Q. How long before a scheduled timeslot can I cancel a study?
A. You can cancel a study up to 24 hours before the session is scheduled to happen.
Q. I have an emergency and 24-hour cancellation window has passed, what do I do?
A. Email the researcher as soon as you can to let them know your situation.
Q. I missed a session, what now?
A. The researcher will assign an “unexcused no-show” to your account. If you accumulate 2 unexcused no-shows then you will no longer be allowed to sign up for any studies.
Q. Is there any way to get rid of an unexcused no-show?
A. You can try to email the researcher of the study you missed and reschedule the session, but it is up to the researcher whether they can accommodate you or not. The best way to avoid this situation is to be considerate and show up for your sessions. Keep in mind that most researchers are students as well and if you fail to show up for your study it is also an inconvenience for him or her.
Q. Who do I talk to if I’m having trouble with my PREP account?
A. If you are having trouble with your PREP account, contact the PREP TAs at prep@wlu.ca.
Q. What if I wish to earn the credits but don’t want to participate in studies?
A. As an alternative to participating in studies, you can earn credit by writing critical reviews of journal articles. Guidelines and instructions are posted on this webpage above under the "Alternative Assignment" section. Note that the deadline for submitting critical reviews is the same as the deadline for participating in studies (i.e., last day of class for the term).
Information for PREP Researchers
If you are conducting research in the Psychology Department and would like to access PREP as a researcher, you must have a researcher account, which will give you different system options than a participant account. To request a researcher account, send an email to prep@wlu.ca and provide your full name, Laurier ID, Laurier email address, and the name of your supervisor; also include a copy of your completed TCPS-2 certificate as an email attachment. The PREP team will approve your request and send you login information as well as a researcher handbook with guidelines for carrying out research via PREP.