Wharton Behavioral Lab: https://bhlab.wharton.upenn.edu

Sometimes you don’t have enough time in your schedule for another job but really need a little extra cash. Well there is a simple way to get that cash without selling your soul, blood, or hair. Often campuses with research intiatives will have studies that require human subjects. The field of research that requires the subject will dictate your terms of involvement. So if you sign up for a School of Medicine study, chances are you will be taking medicine, visiting doctors to have measurements taken and recorded, possibly be put on a diet of some kind, etc. But if you sign up for a School of Business study, the expectations are different. However, you can be sure that it won’t impact your health or your mind.

I can’t and won’t disclose the studies carried out by the Wharton Behavioral Lab. I can assure participants that from my experience they are harmless and often fun or intriguing studies. What is even better is that they don’t take long! One hour is the typical length of a study/studies and every participant is compensated with $10 at the end. If you do a half hour session you would be compensated $5 for your time.

After signing up to be a participant, the studies will list date, times, and target population (students only, open to everyone, females, etc). The will only reveal the study/studies content at the location once you have checked in. So it is hard to tell if you may be opposed to participating. However, I have not found a study yet that I wouldn’t take or made me uncomfortable.

Overall I enjoy taking the studies and really appreciate the extra income. After all, every penny counts!