Sips and Shapes 4: Research Study at the University of Missouri. MU Institutional Review Board (IRB) Project #2106130
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 18-30 who have consumed at least 5 drinks containing any kind of alcohol in their lifetime may be eligible. No alcohol will be consumed in this study. Participation involves 4 in-person visits to the MU campus, plus 5 short online surveys over the next 12 months. During the visits, you will complete computer tasks while receiving small sips of water or juice in the scanner. Visits will take between 1 and 2 hours of your time, for a total in-person involvement of 6 hours.
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#2106130). 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 4
How do I know if I am eligible?
Take the eligibility screener! Potentially eligible participants will be contacted by research team via email/text/phone call (depending on your indicated preference). We will schedule a brief Zoom call to review what participation in the study entails and confirm your eligibility for MRI procedures.
Please note: If you have participated in a previous Sips and Shapes study, you are not eligible for this one. However, if you have only taken a screener for another study but were not contacted to participate, you are still welcome to complete the screener for this study. We sometimes reach out to different people depending on the study’s needs, so you may be invited to participate this time!
Enrolled participants will be asked to:
Complete 4 lab visits
You will visit the researcher’s lab on the MU campus in Columbia, MO for a total of four visits.
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Visit 1 (Orientation): A 1-hour introductory session where you will be familiarized with the study equipment and practice what you will do in the MRI scanner. This can be scheduled at almost any time during the week before your MRI sessions.
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Visits 2, 3, and 4 (MRI Sessions): Three consecutive daily sessions lasting 1.5 to 2 hours each. During these visits, we will collect functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) recordings to visualize how the brain processes visual cues and rewards while you complete a computerized learning task. During the task, you will view various visual stimuli, some of which predict receipt of a liquid reward. The liquid reward will be a fruit juice. You will pick the flavor you like best from 3 options, and we will use that one as the liquid reward. The amount served will be no more than 8-oz total.
Scheduling Information
We do our best to find a schedule that works for you, though MRI scanner availability can be limited. This study requires three MRI visits on three consecutive days (e.g., Monday–Wednesday). Our standard appointment windows are weekdays between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM, but we can sometimes arrange off-hour or evening sessions upon request. When our team contacts you, just let us know your general availability and we will work to find a matching timeframe.
Compensation for the lab visits
Participants are compensated at a rate of $20 per hour for laboratory visits. Payment is provided in cash at the end of each visit.
| Laboratory Visit | Visit Type | Expected Duration (hr) | Base ($) | “On-Time” Bonus ($) | Travel Allowance ($) | Completion Bonus ($) | Day Total ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visit 1 | Orientation in mock scanner | 1.0 | 20 | 10 | 10 | – | 40 |
| Visit 2 | MRI scanner | 2.0 | 40 | 10 | 10 | – | 60 |
| Visit 3 | MRI scanner | 1.5 | 30 | 10 | 10 | – | 50 |
| Visit 4 | MRI scanner | 1.5 | 30 | 10 | 10 | 60 | 110 |
| Total Laboratory Compensation | 260 |
Daily Travel Allowance: You receive $10 for every single day you come to the lab and this applies to all participants regardless of how they travel—car, bus, bike, walking, rideshare, or any other mode of transportation.
Daily On-Time Incentive: You receive an additional $10 for every single day you are in the lobby by your scheduled start time.
Final Completion Bonus: You receive an additional $60 bonus at your final visit for completing the full 4-day laboratory protocol.
Participants can earn up to $260 for completing all laboratory visits (including all bonuses).
Complete 5 online surveys in 1 year span
Complete online remote survey (~20 min) 5 times: once before the first MRI visit, and 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after the last lab visit. For each survey, earn $10 + $10 “on-time” bonus if you complete the survey the day we sent it to you. Bonus: earn $30 “streak” bonus if you complete all 5 surveys!
Participants can earn up to $130 for completing all electronic surveys.
Compensation summary
In total, participants can earn up to $390 for participating in this study. This includes $260 for laboratory visits and $130 for electronic surveys. Compensation for the laboratory visits is in cash, paid at the end of each visit. Compensation for the electronic surveys is in electronic gift cards, paid after each survey.
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