[UG/MS/PhD] Paid Study for USC Students: In-Home Robot-Guided CBT Exercises (6 Weeks, Up to $285)

The following announcement is from Sahitha Vuddagiri. Please contact them directly if you have any questions.

Hello,

My name is Sahitha Vuddagiri, and I am a PhD student at the University of Southern California. I am
conducting a research study to develop a socially assistive robot (SAR) companion that supports at-home
cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) exercises. Student Study Flyer

We are recruiting individuals who:
● Are currently enrolled university students
● Are at least 18 years old
● Have normal or corrected-to-normal hearing and vision
● Are fluent in English
● Are willing to meet at USC for an in-person study session
● Have clinically elevated levels of generalized anxiety
● Have lower than minimal risk of suicide*

If you decide to participate in this study, you will be asked to do the following activities
● Complete a 5-minute online interest survey on REDCap
● Review and sign a consent form for 5-minutes
● Complete a 15-minute online pre-study survey on REDCap
● Attend a 40-minute study onboarding appointment with a researcher at USC
● Participate in the 6-week study by interacting with the SAR CBT platform four to five times per
week for 30-45 minutes per session, wearing a Fitbit, and completing surveys
● Attend a 45-minute appointment with a researcher at USC to return the study equipment and
complete an exit interview

Participants can receive up to a $285 Amazon gift card via email after the 6-week study.

*If a high risk of suicide is determined based on the screening questionnaires, the study personnel are
required to report to USC Counseling & Mental Health, and USC Trojans Care for Trojans (TC4T) in order
to provide appropriate and immediate support for the student.

If you are interested, please complete our REDCap screening survey at this link:
https://redcap.link/x0hr8y96

If you have any questions, please contact me at studyrec@usc.edu.

Thank you!

Sahitha Vuddagiri
PhD Student
University of Southern California

studyrec@usc.edu

 

Published on September 15th, 2026Last updated on September 15th, 2026