Some of the undergraduate classes in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders offer extra credit for participation in research. Each course outlines the terms (number of hours per credit) in the syllabus. If you are unsure, contact your instructor.
All studies are approved by the University of Wisconsin’s Human Subjects IRB, and participants will be asked to sign consent forms prior to the study.
To participate, CONTACT THE LAB (not your instructor). The LAB will arrange a time with you at a time that is mutually convenient.
After the study, students will select which course they wish to allocate credit for, and the lab will document the participation. At the end of the semester, the lab will forward a list of names of students who participated to each instructor, for credit allocation. Students are also encouraged to save a copy of the consent form and write down the date and number of hours of participation for additional proof of participation.
Studies Available to Students for Research-Credit Opportunities
Binaural Hearing and Speech Lab (BHSL)
Ruth Litovsky, Ph.D.
Description: Following a hearing screening, you will be asked to listen to words or sounds in a variety of testing conditions. You will use a mouse or a pointing device to indicate what you heard or where the sound came from.
Participation Criteria: 1) Between 18-30 years of age; 2) Monolingual English Speaker; 3) Normal hearing; 4) No known disabilities
Participation Time Required: 1-3 hours
Recruitment Time Frame: Ongoing.
Contact Information: If interested, please contact spatial_hearing@wisc.edu to schedule a testing session.
Communication Development in School-Age Children with Cerebral Palsy
Wisconsin Intelligibility, Speech, and Communication Laboratory (WISC LAB)
Katie Hustad, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Description: You will be asked to listen to brief audio clips of a child’s speech, type what you think the child said, and answer a few short questions.
Participation Criteria: 1) Between 18-45 years of age; 2) English is primary language; 3) Normal hearing; 4) No known disabilities
Participation Time Required: 20-45 minutes
Recruitment Time Frame: Ongoing. Students can participate in our study once per academic year.
Contact Information: If interested, please visit our website and complete a short questionnaire to make sure you are eligible to participate.
Multiple Speech Production Studies
Speech Motor Neuroscience Group
Caroline Niziolek, Ph.D. (Brain, Language, & Acoustic Behavior Lab)
Benjamin Parrell, Ph.D. (Speech Motor + Action Lab)
Description: You will be asked to read words aloud while your voice is recorded by a microphone. You can take part in a single session, a multi-session study (scheduled ~1 week apart), or multiple studies.
Participation Criteria: 1) Native speaker of American English; 2) 18 or older; 3) No history of speech, hearing, or neurological disorders
Participation Time Required: 1-4 hours
Recruitment Time Frame: Ongoing
Contact Information: Fill out the survey at https://go.wisc.edu/gc3wsf or email speechmotor@waisman.wisc.edu
Multiple Language Learning and Experience Studies
Language Acquisition and Bilingualism Lab
Rita Kaushanskaya, Ph.D.
Description: Complete tasks on a computer, complete standardized language and cognition tests, and fill out questionnaires about your language background.
Participation Criteria: Monolingual English speaker OR speaker of English and another language (especially Spanish)
Participation Time Required: 1-2 hours
Recruitment Time Frame: Ongoing
Contact Information: Email uwbilingualismlab@waisman.wisc.edu or call the Language Acquisition and Bilingualism Lab at (608) 263-5764
Soundscape Experience and Speech Perception in Noise
Soundscape and Audiology Research Lab
Erik Jorgensen, Au.D., Ph.D.
Description: This is a study investigating how the sounds you listen to in your daily life affects your listening performance, particularly in real-world noisy environments.
Participation Criteria: 18-25 years old; Normal Hearing; No history of musical training preferred, but can take musicians.
Participation Time Required: 3 hours in the lab over 2 visits, 2 week field study collecting surveys on an app during the day and wearing a small audio recorder
Recruitment Time Frame: Ongoing
Contact Information: audlab@csd.wisc.edu
Speech and Auditory Processing Studies
Speech Processing and Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory (SPANLAB)
G. Nike Gnanateja, Ph.D.
Description: Complete tasks on a computer, hear sounds and make decisions, answer questionnaires, EEG experiments.
Participation Criteria: Native speakers of American English
Participation Time Required: maximum of 4 hours for at least two sessions
Recruitment Time Frame: Ongoing
Contact Information: Email spanlab@csd.wisc.edu or call the SPAN LAB at (608) 262-6483