University Retirees Volunteer Center

Volunteers Needed for Prosody Studies for Adults 50-80 years of age

Description of organization activity requiring volunteers:

The UMN Listen Lab studies prosody, speech perception, and listening effort to better understand what makes communication challenging in the real world, and the strategies listeners use to overcome these challenges. Currently recruiting individuals with normal hearing to participate in research studies. The UMN Listen Lab projects compare perception between participants with typical hearing and cochlear implants, with the goals of improving clinical assessment, rehabilitation, and quality of life for individuals with hearing loss.

Details of volunteer duties:

Participants in this study will:

• Receive a hearing screening
• Listen to or watch videos of people speaking
• Repeat what you hear, or respond with an easy-to-use computer interface
• Be compensated at $15/hour for your time

A non-invasive eye-tracker may be used to measure eye position and pupil size during the tasks. Participants who pass the screening and are interested may have the opportunity to participate in additional studies in the laboratory.

Dates, times, and location:

Participants will complete one or more short experiments during a visit to the lab. A single visit will last no more two hours. Sessions are scheduled between 9AM and 5PM on weekdays, with the exact time determined based on your availability.

Studies are located in Shevlin Hall on the UMN Twin Cities campus:

164 Pillsbury Dr. SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Volunteer eligibility and training requirements:

Participants in this study must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• 50-80 years of age.
• No known, significant hearing loss. A basic hearing screening will be conducted prior to the study.
• Native speaker of English.
• Cognitively normal (a cognitive test may also be performed prior to the study).

While the current recruitment focus is on individuals with normal hearing, please also feel free to contact the Listen Lab if you use cochlear implants. The Listen Lab often collects data with these populations. If there is no immediate study availability, project coordinators would be happy to securely store your contact information and reach out when opportunities arise.

What to wear: Please dress for comfort. The sound booth can get warm, especially during the summer months.

Parking/Transportation: Free parking is provided. In most cases, participants are given a permit to park in a designated spot next to our building. When those spaces are unavailable, parking tickets are validated from nearby campus parking garages.

Safety information: There are no significant risks of these research studies. Minor risks include tiredness and eye fatigue from viewing a computer screen. Frequent, untimed breaks will be provided throughout the session to maintain comfort.

Volunteers’ food/beverage availability: There is a water fountain available down the hall from the laboratory.

Volunteer compensation: Volunteers will be compensated $15/hour for the duration of the study.

Information and contact:

To learn more or register for the study, please contact the Listen Lab coordinator, Kate Teece. The lab can be reached by phone, but email is the most reliable way to contact us.

• Email: henn0158@umn.edu
• Phone: 612-625-3327