Wednesday Research Seminar Series - Rewarding Research Participants: Alternative Forms of Non-Financial Compensation

We are pleased to invite you to our Wednesday Research Seminar. It will be held in-person on 13th November from 4pm at Oasis Theatre. Wednesday Research Seminar Series was launched in 2008 and has featured more than 360 presentations to date. The seminars provide a forum for researchers to share their work. Presenters include faculty from Middlesex University Dubai and other universities in the United Arab Emirates, as well as researchers from other global institutions. Prince will deliver seminar on:

“Rewarding Research Participants: Alternative Forms of Non-Financial Compensation”
Prince Kouassi

Abstract

Research participants are recruited at various levels of higher education for behavioural research. However, financial forms of compensation dominate, despite some research demonstrating the value of non-financial forms. Statement of the Problem: A subset of research participants appears primarily motivated by non-financial forms of compensation. However, non-financial forms of compensation are undefined and infrequent. Literature Review: There exists a limited amount of literature demonstrating participants’ preference for non-financial forms of compensation. One method of identifying and developing non-financials forms of compensation is introduced, based on emphasising participants’ experience of the research aim, in some capacity. Teaching Implications: Examples are provided on how non-financial forms of compensation can be developed. Educators are encouraged to further explore the development of this form of compensation for their own research and that of their student’s. As they may represent the only viable compensation method for many students. Conclusion: The development of different forms of non-financial compensation can lead to academics and students

Presenter Bios

Dr. Kouassi is an Assistant Professor of Psychology and Chair of the Department of Psychology at the American University of Dubai, joining in February 2023. He holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from City, University of London (UK), where he focused on computational psychology, conducting experimental and simulation research to develop models that explore the information processing underlying errors and biases in decision-making. Dr. Kouassi also holds an MSc in Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience from the University of Sheffield (UK) and a BSc in Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Leicester (UK).

After his Ph.D., he served as a Teaching Fellow in Psychology at Coventry University (UK), enhancing his teaching skills. His active research interests span understanding and modeling errors and biases in judgment and decision-making, applying quantum probability models, improving behavioural study participation, and exploring effective teaching practices in psychology at regional and international levels. Dr. Kouassi is also interested in applying psychology principles to the various domains. These include, but are not limited to:

• Understanding the development and maintenance of errors and biases in judgements and decision-making across multiple settings;
• Developing computational models to gain better insights into low-level cognitive phenomena;
• Applying quantum probability frameworks/models to judgement and decision-making;
• Better understanding how to improve participation rates in behavioral research studies;
• Best teaching practices for psychology at a regional and international level;
• Applying core and relevant principles in psychology to the workplace.