Behavioral Research Lab

Researchers include McDonough faculty and their collaborators and use the lab to study behaviors related to business problems, such as organizational behavior, consumer behavior, and financial behavior. The lab staff helps researchers in designing and administering studies, recruiting participants, and in the IRB process.

Lab Resources

The Laboratory

The lab facilities can accommodate a variety of research studies. For example, individual computer stations with privacy panels enable researchers to present a variety of customized materials for participants to experience and evaluate. The lab is a unique setting for in-person stimuli, to show/administer physical objects, make participants interact, and create real-life situations.

The lab organizes studies in other locations both on-and-off campus, such as the Leavey Center and Healey Center. Researchers also can use other rooms in Georgetown McDonough’s Rafik B. Hariri Building for behavioral studies (conditional to availability) and create breakout rooms for focus groups, one-to-one interactions, or interviews.

Online Studies

The behavioral research manager assists behavioral faculty in administering online surveys on the most diffused online platforms, such as MTurk, CloudResearch, and Prolific. The research manager will organize data collection and help faculty with participants’ compensation.

Help in Developing Behavioral Research

The behavioral manager offers help in programming studies in Qualtrics and gives advice about sample size, experimental design, and the organization of physical stimuli.

Help in IRB Application

All the studies in the behavioral lab (both in the physical lab and online) must be approved by Georgetown IRB. The behavioral manager offers help with the IRB application.

Research Assistants Management

The research manager can recruit and manage teams of undergraduate and graduate research assistants that support data collection. The manager also supervises research assistants (graduate business students who are paid as graduate assistants to support the lab), as well as volunteer undergraduate students. The research manager will assist researchers in training coders of the unstructured data and will supervise RAs to keep them on schedule with their research duties. 

Available software

• Qualtrics is a web survey tool available to faculty and collaborators. Researchers may request a consultation on building surveys by completing the Insights Lab Intake Form. The lab can also request Qualtrics offline app and can use iPads allowing for field studies where internet access might be an issue.
• SONA-System is an online participant management system capable of scheduling the lab and online studies.

For Students

Volunteer as a Research Assistant

Research Assistants (RAs) are a valuable part of our team. They contribute to all aspects of the research process, from managing the lab facilities, to coding open-ended questions, to creating program materials, to analyzing data. Our RAs gain first-hand experience with conducting research on human behavior. If you are interested, please send a cover letter and resume to msb.lab@georgetown.edu.

Become a Participant

If you are enrolled in MARK220, MARK221, MARK222, MARK 225, MGMT201, or OPIM230, around 2% of your grade depends on your participation in research activities organized by the lab. You will find more information on the syllabus of your course.

For Researchers

The behavioral faculty and collaborators of the McDonough School of Business are invited to use the Behavioral Lab to conduct their research.

How To Conduct Research in the Lab

The Georgetown McDonough behavioral faculty and collaborators can apply for studies in the behavioral lab before the semester starts. Researchers will be asked to indicate the desired number of participants, minutes, and the preferred session (i.e., beginning, middle, or end of the semester).

Resources

The behavioral lab team assists researchers with setting up their research by programming Qualtrics surveys, managing participants, giving compensation/bonuses, and applying for the IRB.

Behavioral Research Staff

Francesco Zanibellato
Behavioral Research Manager
Francesco.Zanibellato@georgetown.edu

Francesco Zanibellato has extensive behavioral research experience at Ca’ Foscari University (Italy) and at the University of Connecticut. He manages the activities of the behavioral lab and supervises the research assistants of the behavioral faculty. His research interests include online reviews, psychological analysis of language, and consumer expertise.

Contact Behavioral Research Lab Manager

Behavioral Research Committee

Rebecca Hamilton

Michael G. and Robin Psaros Chair in Business Administration and Vice Dean of Faculty and Professor of Marketing

Simon Blanchard

Provost’s Distinguished Associate Professor

Jeremy Yip

Assistant Professor

Sezer Ulku

Professor and Academic Director of the MBA Global Business Experience