Researchers in the Gabrieli Lab at MIT are hiring part-time, contract staff to support exciting new fMRI research investigating the impact of social stress on the human brain.
Experiencing stress during social interactions is a part of normal human experience. We will examine how a socially stressful situation impacts several different measures of stress in healthy adults, and adults with a diagnosis of social anxiety disorder. We hope this research gives us better insight into how social stress may impact healthy individuals as well as those who may struggle with more atypical experiences of social distress (such as in social anxiety disorder).
In our new research, we will be conducting experiments designed as mock job interviews, which have been shown to reliably induce social stress in research participants. The mock job interview paradigm that we will be using in our experiments is called the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Please visit the following links to learn more about the TSST (Allen et al., 2017 ; JoVE Protocol)
If selected to join the research team, your role would be that of a “study confederate”, which means you would act as though you were a research scientist, evaluating each participant’s performance on the mock job interviews — but, in reality, this would simply be an act, with the intention of eliciting an anxious brain response in our participants, who would complete an MRI brain scan immediately following the experiment. During these experiments, your role as a study confederate will be very important in helping us to elicit maximally relevant social stress- responses in the brain that we are hoping to evaluate. After the experiments, participants will be fully debriefed about the study procedures.
Qualifications: A background in psychology and prior experience working in research are not required, but applicants with strong interpersonal skills, ability to adapt quickly within a fast-paced environment, and a flexible work schedule will be strongly favored. Due to the format of this research study, retired professionals and those with acting experience may be especially well-suited for this role. This is an in-person only opportunity. Please only apply for this position if you are able to commit to in-person work at the McGovern Insitute for Brain Research, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Compensation
You will be compensated as a contractor. You will learn more details about compensation if you are selected for an interview.
Contact us
If interested, please send a brief letter of self-introduction describing your qualifications for this position, a resume, and a headshot (with a neutral facial expression) to the study team using the buttons below or email us at: parttime.opportunity.mit@
If you have had experience acting, please include a description of your experiences and your availability during the week. If you do not have a professional headshot, a clear photo taken on a smartphone camera would be fine.
