Research Assistant
Become a Member of Our Research Team!
Thank you for your interest in available research assistantships in our lab. As a research assistant, you will learn about the nuts and bolts of doing psychological research in a warm and friendly work environment.
What Will I Do?
As a research assistant, you will be given the opportunity to work closely with other members of the laboratory (including undergraduate and graduate students, visiting scholars, and Professor Tsai) on one or more of our current research projects. Your responsibilities may include: collecting and managing data; transcribing and coding; doing library research; designing studies; maintaining lab equipment; running subjects; preparing stimuli and instruments for projects; screening potential study participants over the phone; and contacting recruitment sites. In addition to the work that research assistants do on specific research projects, they are also required to contribute to the maintenance of the lab (e.g., entry of information into FileMaker Pro, cleaning, copying articles, filing, answering phones, maintaining the web site) and to attend a weekly lab meeting. During these meetings, we: take care of administrative tasks; talk about conceptual and methodological issues related to cultural psychology and research on emotion; check-in about various projects; listen to and provide feedback on papers and presentations; and train research assistants on various research methods. Research assistants are expected to attend and stay for the entire meeting. Because of the extensive training involved in becoming a research assistant, we request a minimum of a six-hour commitment a week (not including the weekly lab meeting), for at least two quarters. We find that research assistants who are the most satisfied with their experience in our lab are the ones who have the most time to become involved in our projects.
What Qualifications Do I Need?
We are looking for research assistants with a range of experiences and qualifications. You do NOT need to be a Stanford student; however, you should have an interest in psychological science and an interest in pursuing graduate studies in psychology. You do NOT need to have previous research experience; however, research assistants will start with responsibilities and duties that match their previous experiences in research. You should be intellectually curious, diligent, and conscientious; be interested in culture and emotion; work well with others; and be able to make the requisite time commitment. Because we use multiple methods in our research, we are also looking for research assistants who have training in computer programming, who speak different languages, and who have backgrounds in anthropology, physiology, or biology.
Will I Be Paid or Receive Course Credit?
Currently, all of our research assistant positions for non-Stanford students are voluntary and, therefore, are not paid. Stanford undergraduate and graduate students may register for course credit (1 credit for 3 hours of work per week) or work for work-study (if eligible) at a rate of $12/hr.
How Do I Apply?
To apply to be a research assistant in our lab, please click on the link below. The application consists of short answer questions. You will also be asked to submit a resume and one-page essay about why you are interested in joining our lab. After reviewing your materials, we will contact you for an interview. It may take a few days for us to contact you.
What If I Have Other Questions?
Feel free to tsailab [at] gmail.com (email) us if you have any questions.