Study Participants

People with Visual Impairments 

The Department of Biological Psychology and Neuropsychology at the University of Hamburg investigates whether and how blind individuals compensate for their lack of vision through their hearing and touch senses. How well can our brain adapt to new challenges (e.g., blindness), and does this adaptive capacity depend on age? Additionally, we study how well people who are born blind learn to see.

For these studies, we are constantly looking for individuals who are totally blind or who were born with cataracts that were removed during childhood.

Registration for our studies 

We maintain a list of people interested in participating in our research. If needed, we will contact you to arrange an appointment. If you would like to register on this list, please contact us by email at teilnahme.bpn"AT"uni-hamburg.de. Your data will be used solely for the purpose of recruiting participants for our scientific studies and will not be shared with anyone else.

Students 

We regularly seek student participants for behavioral, EEG, and fMRI studies. For students enrolled in the B.Sc. Psychology program, participation is credited with "participant hours." Some studies also offer compensation. A variety of studies can be found on SONA. Please also pay attention to notices on the relevant blackboards.

Anonymity 

All data we collect are processed anonymously without exception. Specifically, your personal information will not be stored on any network-connected computer. When you participate in a study, your data will be assigned a sequential number. This number is used throughout all processing steps, ensuring that only the study leader can identify the specific individual.

Behavioral Measurements 

Here, we examine how quickly and accurately participants can perform tasks related to perception and cognition.

EEG 

To record electrical signals in the brain during a specific task, you will wear a cap fitted with electrodes that contact your scalp. Before the measurement, the electrodes are cleaned with a cotton swab. Then, an electrolyte gel is applied to improve contact. This gel can be easily washed out later. We also provide a washing facility on-site. EEG recording is completely safe and painless. Please be patient, as the cap fitting and contact preparations take some time. Earrings and head piercings must be removed during data collection. For some studies, contact lenses may also need to be removed.

fMRI 

The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner used for our research is located at the University Medical Center Eppendorf (UKE, Building W14, Neuroradiology). The MRI consists of a tunnel-like apparatus into which the participant is positioned. Inside, a strong (but safe) magnetic field is present. Therefore, all magnetic objects must be removed before participation. People with metallic implants or objects in or on their body (e.g., dental braces, pacemakers, intrauterine devices) cannot participate in MRI studies; we will ask about this prior to the scan. The MRI measures blood flow in the brain. To reduce the noise of the machine, you will wear noise-canceling headphones.