Volunteering in Research: Student Satisfaction and Educational Benefits

Participating in a research activity by volunteering in a research study or by writing a short research paper as part of a course requirement relates to favorable perceptions of psychology and research, greater knowledge of procedures associated with participation, and other demographic and situational variables. College students who volunteered to participate in a research study were more satisfied with their experiences than those who wrote papers as part of their research activity. Gender, grade expected, employment status, major, class size, and number of participation events related to satisfaction with experiences and perceptions of psychology and research. The findings are relevant to academic departments implementing or evaluating the existence of a participant pool.