This grant awarded through the National Science Foundations Major Research Instrumentation competition permits the Principal Investigator, Dr. Mark Leary and Duke University to purchase a mobile behavioral research laboratory. This consists of a vehicle, approximately 41 feet in length which includes five soundproofed cubicles, a larger room capable of holding up to five people and a psychophysiological measurement system with integrated computers and audio-visual systems to enable integration of the individual measures (heart rate, blood pressure, galvanic skin response and respiration). University based behavioral research is often conducted on students at the institution because these are the most available individuals who are conveniently located near the necessary laboratory facilities. Such a constraint often severely limits the populations which can be incorporated into research and also restricts the types of questions which can be asked. This mobile laboratory permits researchers to incorporate a much wider range of individuals and topics into their work. It will be possible, for example to access members of minority, underserved and hard-to-reach groups and increase the number and availability of participants. Among the wide range of topics scheduled for inclusion of Duke University studies, examples include studies of: in situ research of public school choice among diverse population groups; field experiments of in situ reactions to local political meetings; decision-making among the elderly (who can be recruited at retirement centers); studies of disadvantaged individuals who lack health care; judgment and decision-making processes among average Americans; effects of after school programs.
It is also hoped that the availability of more diverse samples and an expanded repertoire of research topics will attract greater numbers of undergraduate and graduate students from underrepresented groups to pursue training and careers in social, behavioral and economic sciences, thereby expanding the size, scope and diversity of the scientific work force.
