VU Behavioural Lab
Frequently Asked Questions
How will payments be allocated to participants?
Participant payment information is securely stored within the system and is only accessible to the lab administrator. Researchers must update participant status in SONA within 2 business days after each timeslot deadline. The VBL team then reviews these statuses, contacts budget holders for approval, and processes payments. For detailed instructions on updating participant status, denying payment, and handling special cases, see: Granting or Denying Payment.
Acknowledgements in paper
Please add the following statement in the Acknowledgments section of your manuscript: We thank the VU Behavioral Lab (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) for participant recruitment, lab usage, and data collection support.
How long in advance should I request a study?
Due to planning and registering, we require you to request physical lab studies at least 3 weeks / online studies at least 2 weeks before the session takes place, but preferably even earlier.
Will my study be deactivated if there are no new time slots?
Yes. If no new time slots are added within 3 months, your study will be deactivated. This ensures that the system only displays active and available studies for participants.
I would like to invite an external researcher to the study.
Unfortunately, no external researchers are allowed to access the system. You can manage as a collaborator on their behalf.
I would like to invite an external participant to the study.
Unfortunately, at the moment, external participants cannot sign up or receive payments through the system.
Can I use prescreeners to select participants for my study?
Prescreeners are standard questionnaires (e.g., demographic or personality surveys) that participants fill out once a year. These are stored outside of SONA and used to help researchers access important participant information without having to collect it repeatedly for every study. Due to VU's data privacy and storage policies, prescreening data is not stored in SONA and cannot be used to automatically filter or preselect participants for your study. While you can specify eligibility criteria (e.g., gender, age) in your SONA study description, students may overlook these and still register. As a researcher, you retain the right to reject ineligible participants or exclude their data. Please note that applying eligibility restrictions may significantly reduce your participant pool.
How long does the participant payment usually take?
We typically process payments within 2 weeks, though this may take longer during holidays or summer break. Payment timelines can vary by study, so please check the study description for specific details.
What happens if I provided the wrong payment information?
If the payment information you provided is incorrect and we are unable to process your payout, we will contact you to request updated details. If we do not receive a response within 14 days, the payout may be forfeited. Therefore, please ensure your payment information is accurate to avoid delays or loss of payment.
How can I update my payment information?
If your payment information changed, please reach out to us via vbl@vu.nl. We will delete your information in the system and you can then enter your correct or updated information.
Who is the VU Student Pool and when are they available?
The VU Student Pool consists of students from various academic backgrounds who participate in behavioural and cognitive research studies. They are available throughout the entire calendar year.
My question is not mentioned here?
If your payment information has changed, please contact us at vbl@vu.nl. We will remove your existing details from our system so that you can submit your updated payment information.