Sips and Shapes 3: Research Study at the University of Missouri. MU Institutional Review Board (IRB) Project #2106127

Principal investigator: Dr. Roberto Cofresi, Department of Psychological Sciences. Contact: cofresir@missouri.edu

Summary

We are seeking young adults for a paid research study looking at brain and mental processes during learning of new visual cues for liquid rewards. Individuals age 21-25 who drank alcohol at least two days in the past month and have never participated in other Sips and Shapes studies in our lab may be eligible. The study involves 3 lab visits to MU Campus (Marx Building) within 1 week, and 5 short (<15 min) electronic (online) surveys across 12 months. During the lab visits, we will record your EEG (brain waves) while you view shapes on a computer screen and get small sips of water and alcohol. You will consume about 1 standard drink total at each lab visit. You can earn up to $350 total for completing the entire study.

Purpose of the study

This study is conducted by researchers at the University of Missouri (MU) with funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The purpose of this study is to increase understanding of factors that can lead to alcohol and other drug use-related problems in some people (MU Institutional Review Board (IRB) Project#2106127). More specifically, this research has two goals. The first goal is to explore how the brain’s processing of a visual stimulus changes as a result of new experiences with that stimulus (e.g., when we learn that it predicts drug or food reward). The second goal is to explore if between-person differences in learning-related changes in how the brain processes a visual stimulus are related to between-person differences in the use of alcohol and/or other drugs. We hope that the insight we gain from this study will improve our understanding of factors that might put people at risk for developing problems with alcohol or other drugs, or that might protect people from developing such problems.

How to participate

Complete the eligibility screener so that the research team can determine if you meet the study eligibility criteria.

Eligibility Screener: Sips and Shapes 3

How do I know if I am eligible?

Eligible participants will be contacted by research team via email/text/phone call (depending on your indicated preference). We will schedule a Zoom call to review what participation in the study entails and schedule your lab visits.

Enrolled participants will be asked to:

Complete 3 lab visits in 1 week span

Visit the researcher’s lab on the MU campus in Columbia, MO to complete a computerized learning task in which you are presented various visual stimuli, some of which predict receipt of a small amount of water or alcohol. You will consume your preferred alcohol beverage commercially available. Your electroencephalogram (EEG) recording (“brain waves”) will be recorded so that we can visualize how your brain processes visual stimuli and liquid reward.

You will be paid in cash at the end of each visit. In total, you can earn up to $220 for lab visits.

  • Visit 1 will last 3 hours and you will be paid $60 in cash for completing it.
  • Visit 2 and 3 will each last 2.5 hours and you will be paid $50 in cash for completing them.
  • Get a $60 “streak” bonus if you complete all 3 lab visits.

Complete 5 online surveys in 1 year span

Complete online remote survey (~15 min) 5 times: once before the first lab visit, and 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after the last lab visit. Earn $10/survey + $10 “on-time” bonus if completed the day we sent it to you. Bonus: earn $30 “streak” bonus if you complete all 5 surveys! In total, you can earn up to $130. Compensation via electronic gift cards.

What if I have questions about the study?

You should contact the research team!

MU LAMP Lab Email: mulamplab@missouri.edu

Dr. Roberto Cofresi Email: cofresir@missouri.edu

Where to go for lab visits?

Directions to our lab