Current Research Opportunities

Please note: the research projects below are being conducted by trusted and verified academic third parties and not by Unreal directly. All studies advertised have been awarded ethical approval from their institution.

University College London (UCL)

Dissociative symptoms and interoceptive integration

This study is looking to recruit candidates aged between 18-64 to complete a screening survey, and if eligible, attend a 2-hour testing session near Russell Square in London. You can take part in the study here.

The Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Group are running a research study examining how bodily responses to touch, discomfort, and emotional material interact with our self-image, and how this changes with different levels of dissociation. The bodily responses that we will measure include heart rate, blood pressure, and skin conductance (a measure that can determine the sweat response of the skin). We employ a virtual reality task that helps us understand how you experience the world around you; as well as a task involving mild electrical stimulation of the skin, which helps us to understand how your body processes sensory experiences.

There are two stages in this study. The first stage involves completing a small number of screening questions online (5 mins) and without financial compensation.

Shortlisted individuals will then be invited to attend an in-person testing session at the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience.

During the in-person testing session, you will complete two computerised psychological tasks, while we record your bodily signals (heartrate, skin conductance, beat-to-beat systolic and diastolic blood pressure). The first task will involve wearing a virtual-reality headset, while receiving gentle brushstrokes on your arm. The second task will involve receiving non-harmful electric shocks. They will be unpleasant but tolerable and non-painful, similar to a rubber band being snapped against the skin. You will also be asked to complete a series of questionnaires about your thoughts, behaviour, feelings, mental health, and current medications.

These tasks will take approximately 2hrs.

You will also be reimbursed at a rate of £15 per hour (£30 total for the full duration of the study) for your time on site. If you are a student at UCL you may also be able to choose to received 2 credits instead of financial compensation. We will ask for your consent at the start of the in-person testing sessions, for which a sample form can be found here.

You can sign up by completing the initial screening questionnaire.