Frequently Asked Questions

Is the registration free of charge?
Yes, the registration and taking part in the experiments is free! You also have the option of unregistering at any time.

What happens once I am registered?
One you have registered successfully, you can be invited to experiments. The invitations are send out by our system, which sends out invitations to members by random chance. This means that not all members are invited to each experiment.

How can I take part in an experiment?
To take part in an experiment you will first have to receive an invitation via e-mail. The invitation will contain information on time and date of the experiment. By following the link on the invitation, you will be forwarded to your MaXLab profile, where you will be able to accept the invitation to take part in the experiment. As only a certain number of participants are required, our system works on a first come first serve basis. This means once the system has registered the required amount of participants, no further participants can register. Please keep in mind that once you are registered for an experiment, you are expected to show up. Unregistering will only be granted in special circumstances. Repeated lack of attendance will lead to exclusion from all future experiments. You can register for all experiments listed in your profile. However, you are only allowed to take part in each experiment once.

Why have I not been invited for a long time?
Depending on the nature of the experiment, different types of participants may be required. From a pool of qualified participants, our system randomly sends out invitations. In order to assure the necessary amount of participants, more members are invited than participants required. It may happen that some people are invited more frequently than others, which cannot be prevented. However throughout the year all members receive similar amounts of invitations.

Why are all available spots taken when I want to sign up for an experiment?
Invitations are send out in bundles. This may lead to some people receiving invitations earlier than others. Thus some members are able to apply for an experiment earlier, which may lead to all slots being filled. All staff are asked to undermine the problem as best as possible, however it cannot fully be eradicated.

How long does an experiment take?
The mean duration of an experiment is approximately 1.5 hours. Exact details will be given in the beginning of the experiment.

What do participants have to do?
During the experiments, participants have to solve tasks. For this, each participant is assigned a computer, and makes decisions based on the various situations.

Will I earn Money?
Definitely! However, every pay off depends on the experiment, the players decisions, as well as decisions made by other players. Therefore sometimes the payoff will be higher and sometimes a lower.

Who can participate?
In general, every student independent from area of study can participate in the experiments. Usually there is no specific prior knowledge required.

How can I unsubscribe?
Please send an e-mail to maxlab@ovgu.de

Last Modification: 10.08.2023 - Contact Person: Webmaster